


Golden Gift

by CMAeris



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Fullmetal Alchemist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-12
Packaged: 2017-11-13 16:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMAeris/pseuds/CMAeris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Ed defeated Father, he went to retrieve his brother Al, but when he didn't know what to offer up in return Truth had other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Weapon Maker

_“I won’t let you disappear…”_

            “Have you come for your brother?” Truth sat in all the whiteness around them with an arm resting on a propped up leg. He watched as the battle-worn Fullmetal Alchemist approached.

            It wasn’t the first time the sun-kissed haired young man visited him. Truth still remembered how naïve the boy and his little brother were in coming to him the first time, trying to revive their dead mother. He thought it was over when they lost a body and a leg, but imagine Truth’s surprise when Ed returned to the gate not minutes later. The kid was willing to offer his body in exchange his brother’s return. This brought a smile to Truth’s non-existing lips. Such arrogance and certainty, he has seen the same hubris of man happen again and again.

            Yet, something about this boy intrigued him. Something unique about the gaze of those golden orbs told him this boy was different, this boy was unique, but what, Truth was uncertain. He could claim he knows all, but humans were such fickle creatures.

            Now, three years later, Ed returned again to retrieve his brother and Truth stood in his path again.

            “What are you going to give up this time for an entire body to return?” Truth asked as he studied the blond’s disheveled and bloodied state.

            The metal arm was gone and in its place was the flesh arm he used as sacrifice years ago. He could still see the metal leg peeking through the torn battle-worn pants. Ed stared at him with a stern eye as he stood before him.

            “… What do you want?” Ed sighed. “I would offer my life, but knowing that idiot, he’d probably do the same to get me back. So just tell me what do you want in exchange for my brother.”

            “And the problem lies here.” Truth smiled. “You have to be the one to initiate the exchange. I could only tell you whether it’s enough. However, since you’re indecisive at the moment, why don’t you work for me for a little while?”

            Ed frowned. “Work for you? Why the heck would you need someone to work for you?”

            “I could tell you, but then that would cost you.” Truth waggled his finger.

            A scowl crossed the blond’s face. “What do you want me to do?”

            “Figure it out yourself.” Truth said and snapped his fingers. Ed was given no chance to protest as the gate open with lithe black arms writhing out and latching onto him.

            “Wait! I haven’t—!” He shouted, but by then the arms dragged him through the gate and he was gone.

            Truth grinned brightly. “Good luck Edward Elric.”

o.o.o.o.o 

            Marcus was a simple weapon maker. He took orders all around the world, given the right price and material. The most recent of his masterpieces was the great Masamune. Made with Damascus steel and a magic guard hilt, the blade spans over six feet. Shinra had commissioned the blade for one Colonel Sephiroth. A young upstart that made himself a name in Shinra’s campaign to bring mako energy to all.

            All Marcus heard of the young man was through the company propagandas. How much of it was true, he had no clue. Not that he cares for the matter. As long as he was getting a steady income, he couldn’t complain.

            “Old man Marcus!” A cheery voice came through the door, followed by enthusiastic knock. “I know you’re there! Open up!” The excited youth sang.

            Marcus sighed as he opened the door for his little guest. “What do you want Zachary?”

            The black-spiky-haired youth huffed as he crossed his arms. “It’s Zack!” He protested. “Z-A-C-K, Zack! Not Zachary. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

            The man rolled his eyes. “What do you want?”

            Zack grinned brightly. “Please train me how to use a sword.”

            “I’m busy.” Marcus brushed him off as he went back to tending his flames. Any weapon maker, who was worth his grain in salt, knew maintaining a strong flame is necessary for making quality weapons.

            “Oh come on, it’s only an hour I’m asking. I’ll even leave you alone for a week afterwards. I promise!”

            “I’m busy, and if you haven’t noticed, the war is still going on. Which means I’m in high demand for weapons and armor.”

            “I though you don’t do armor.” Zack commented.

            “I don’t make them, but I do, do customization by adding materia slots to whatever they bring me.” Marcus poked at the dying embers and tossed more coal into the fireplace. As great as mako was, it still doesn’t beat good old coal, in his opinion.

            “That’s simple enough right?” The youth grinned and rested his arms behind his head. “Leaving you with plenty of time to train me. I want to be SOLDIER one day, you know, and I’m not going to get anywhere by slacking off.”

            Marcus paused. “How old are you?”

            “Twelve.” Zack replied earnestly. “Why?”

            “You’re still two years away before they would even consider you as a candidate.”

            Zack started squats restlessly. “That’s why I want you to train me! To prepare myself when I’m ready. Come on, just a little while.”

            “Listen Zachary, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t restocked my pantry in days.” Marcus tried to explain, but Zack would have none of it.

            “Why don’t you get an apprentice or an assistant to do that for you?”

            Marcus grinned wryly. “You want the job?”

            “Heck no!” The youth jumped up defensively. “I’m not going to stay in Gongaga forever! I’m going to become a hero!”

            “And how are you going to do that _hero_?” Marcus turned away from the burning embers.

            “By joining SOLDIER! You’re seen what Colonel Sephiroth did right? And he’s only 19 this year. I have my work cut out for me if I want to be as great as him!”

            “You do know, everything they’re reporting to the public is propaganda right?” Marcus said dryly.

            Zack frowned. “What’s propaganda?”

            “It’s… Wait a second, how did you get here? You didn’t leave the village by yourself did you?” Marcus narrowed his eyes.

            “I got here in one piece didn’t I?” Zack grinned brightly. “Tell me that’s not worthy of one hour of training.”

            “I call it dumb luck that you’re not eaten by monsters.” He placed a firm hand on Zack’s shoulder and ushered him out of the hut, but not before he grabbed a black scabbard from the hanger.

            The spiky-haired youth lit up. “Are you going to train me?”

            “No,” replied Marcus bluntly. “I’m taking you home.”

            “But Maaaarcuuuus.” Zack whined.

            “I’m assuming you haven’t even told your mother that you came out here. She must be worried.”

            “Mom’s a worry-wart to begin with. Come on, I’ll make an excellent student. You’ll be so amazed by my awesomeness you’ll even make me a godly sword!”

            “Keep dreaming kid, keep dreaming,” said Marcus as he closed the door behind them

            “But old man Marcus!” The boy whined as the older man dragged along.

            “Maybe when you’re older. I’m never going to get anything done with you here.”

            As they walked, the sky darkened and the sun was swallowed by an eerie wind. Zack stopped his whining and looked about confused. Marcus quickly unsheathed his blade and twisted the hilt to the scabbard extending it to a half spear. He shoved Zack behind him as black eye-infested arms slithered down to the ground

            “What are those things Marcus?” Zack whispered, fearing that if he spoke any louder it’ll come at them.

            “Go back inside Zachary.” Marcus murmured back uncertainly, but the youth did no such thing.

            Zack was stunned, too stunned to even correct Marcus on his name. They watched as sparks surrounded the arms. Piece by piece, a body materialized among the writhing hands. Flesh, metal, blood and tattered clothing, the end result was an injured young man.

            The skies lighten and the arms receded, it looked as if nothing happened. Marcus swallowed nervously as he approached the unmoving blond cautiously. Who knew what those things were and what kind of monster they’ve dropped upon them. Much to his surprised, he noticed it was a young man, not much older than Zack.

            “Is he alive?” Zack’s innocent question startled him out of staring at the blond’s scars and bleeding wounds.

            “I thought I told you to go back into the house!” Marcus scolded him.

            Zack stepped out from behind him and kneeled down next to the stranger. “You’re not going to leave him out here are you old man?” He poked at the metal leg curiously, but pulled back quickly when the blond groaned. “Ah, sorry, sorry!”

            “Zachary!” Marcus snapped.  

            “Al, I’m sorry.” The blond murmured deliriously, his golden eyes glazed over as he reached for Zack’s retreating hand, but missed when Zack stepped back away from him. He lost consciousness immediately after and slumped back to the ground.

            “Old man Marcus! He’s out! What do we do? What should we do?” The spiky-haired boy shouted frantically as he ran around in circles.

            The older man raised a hand to silence him before he knelt down to check on the blond. The wounds were superficial, nothing bandages and a good rest can’t fix, but that metal leg of his has seen better days. “He’ll be fine. Nothing a little food and rest and he’ll be fine.”

            “How the heck did he just fall from the sky? That was so cool!” Zack asked excitedly as Marcus hauled the stranger off the ground and carried him back to his house.

            “Why don’t you ask him when he wakes up?” The weapon maker commented dryly as they trekked back and entered.

            “So does this mean I can stay?” Zack asked excitedly.

            “At least until he wakes up.” Marcus commented with a thoughtful stare. “Can’t leave him here all alone while I take you back to the village can I?”

            “So this means you’re going to teach me how to use a sword right?” The boy grinned brightly with his pearly whites.

            The man laughed as he placed the young man on the bed and went in search for his first aid kit. “Nice try Zachary, maybe some other time.” The youth stuck his tongue out childishly and plopped down on the seat next to the bed. “Call me if he wakes up.”

            “I know, I know!” Zack waved him off as he hugged the back of the chair and rocked back and forth.

            “Don’t fall on your ass.” Marcus chuckled.

o.o.o.o.o

            Arms, arms everywhere, pitch black things that latched on and plunge to the depths unknown. Ed felt nothing, nothing but the rush of fear. Faster and faster it went until he noticed his body slowly broken down to pieces. He could do nothing to fight back against the deconstruction. His mind became a haze. What did Truth want him to do?

            _Al… I wonder if he’s all right…_

            “Hey! He twitched!” A voice broke through the haze.

            _Who’s talking?_

            “Yo! WAKE UP!” The voice snapped.

            _Who?_

            “OLD MAN MARCUS! HE’S COMING TO!” It was a struggle, but he managed to crack his eyes open, just in time to see a pair of sky blue eyes staring at him with excitable curiosity. “How are you feeling? We found you outside of old man Marcus’s house. The sky went all dark and these black creepy arms came falling down and whoosh! Then you appeared and then the sky lit up again and—”

            “Zachary, give him sometime to recover a little before you attack him with so many questions.” A gruff voice grunted before a heavy set of steps entered the room. At Ed’s first glance, the man was burly with red toned skin, wearing only a leather vest as top and loose, but thick, pants. He had a small ponytail amidst his rather baldhead.

            “It’s Zack! Z-A-C-K.” The youth retorted with annoyance.

            Ed shifted uncomfortably as he sat up quickly noticing his bandaged wounds.

            “When we found you in the plains you were pretty beat up.” Marcus commented.

            “Yeah, you looked horrible until Marcus fixed you up. So what were those black wiggly arm things with eyes in them? You appeared out of nowhere! And how come you have a metal leg?”

            “I was in a fight…” Ed murmured.

            “What type of fight? Were you in the war? Are you a SOLDIER? What are those black wiggly arms with eyes on them?”

            “Zachary, that’s enough.” Marcus interrupted when he noticed Ed’s discomfort. “Why don’t you go to the pantry and see what you can find.” The look the man gave made certain the youth left without a word. It wasn’t until Zack left the room that he spoke again. “Sorry for Zachary’s behavior. He’s been obsessing over joining SOLDIER ever since the propaganda began. Shinra is shameless with advertising.”

            Ed’s brows knitted together in a frown. “Shinra… Is that the military?”

            “You don’t know Shinra?” The man said in surprise, but a look of understanding crossed his face. “But I guess I could understand, you’re not exactly around here. What were those things?”

            Ed closed his eyes. “The children of the gate.” He murmured quietly, but his mind was only on the faceless entity.

            “Excuse me?” Marcus questioned, but Ed made no attempt to answer.

            Just where did Truth dump him? Can he get back? “Can you tell me if there’s a place named Amestris here?” Ed asked.

            Marcus raised a brow. “Amestris? I’ve never heard of the place. Is it a village?”

            Village? Amestris is a nation! Just where did Truth send him? “Do you happen to have a world map?” Ed asked.

            “You’re not thinking of leaving already are you? You’re in no condition to leave.” The red-skinned man said.

            Ed shook his head. “I just wanted to make sure of something.”

            “There’s no food in your pantry, your covers are completely bare old man.” Zack said as he popped back up the stairs. “But there was some honey and teabags.” He said as he handed the steaming mug to Ed.

            “…Thank you.” Ed murmured as he accepted the hot drink. He was momentarily surprised at feeling with his right hand again. He had automail for so long he forgot that he could feel again.

            “I’ll see if I can find a map in the mess of things here. But I would much rather you stay until you’re well enough to travel. The monsters here could be quite dangerous.” Marcus said as he headed towards the open stairs.

            “…Monsters?” Ed frowned and turned to Zack questionably.

            “Ah it’s nothing. Just a couple of giant frogs that turns human into frogs and some oversized lizards that petrify you. It’s no big deal. Marcus is too overprotective I think.” He leaned close and cupped a hand at the side of his face as if telling a secret. “Don’t tell Marcus, but I managed to kill one today coming here!”

            …Giant frogs? Oversized lizards? Is there a rogue alchemist in the area? Ed paused, what was this place? “Hey Zack? Where am I?”

            “Gongaga… hey you remembered my name… uh… what’s your name?” Zack tilted his head curiously.

            Gongaga? What kind of place is that? Is that even in Amestris?

            “Hey.” He felt a prod from the other. “What’s your name?”

            Ed glanced up to him and answered. “Edward Elric.”

            “Cool, I’m Zack Fair nice to meet you. And the protective old man back there is Marcus. He’s a weapon maker in the area.”

            “I’m not that old.” Marcus grumbled as he returned up the stairs with the map at hand. “Edward eh?”

            “Just call me Ed.” He replied as the man rolled out the map on the bed covers.

            “I don’t think Amestris is on the map if that’s what you’re looking for.” Marcus quipped as he took a step back.

            Ed grabbed the map with widened eyes. What was this place? It looked nothing like his world. No Amestris, no Xing, no Drachma, no Creta and no Aerugo. Even the desert is in the wrong place. Was this the world inside of the gate? What did truth want him to do here?

            “Is something wrong?” Zack asked curiously.

            “Do either of you have an idea where the closest alchemist might be? I have some questions.” Ed asked as he moved the map and sheets aside. He swung his legs over bed’s edge before Marcus placed a hand to stop him.

            “You need your rest. What is this alchemist thing you’re blabbering on about? Do you mean a chemist? We can go to Gongaga later to restock on potions if you want to go that badly, but after you recover.”

            “Not a chemist, AL-chemist.” Ed grounded out and brushed off Marcus’ worried hands.

            Should he be concerned that this person never even heard of alchemy? But he knows what a chemist is. Gongaga on the map seemed like a small village compared to the cities like Junon and Midgar. Maybe it’s like Lior where alchemists were a rarity.

            Ed shook his head and tried to stand, but found his leg wasn’t responding as well as it should. He would’ve toppled over had not for Marcus catching him and setting him back on the bed. Ed hurriedly pulled up his pant leg to inspect over his automail leg. He got his arm back, but his still had to worry about his leg. At a quick glance through the basic components were all there, while nowhere an expert like Winry, he knows enough to keep his parts functional at least until he gets a chance to return to his mechanic.

            Fortunately, the damage wasn’t extensive. There were some wear and tear but the heart of the leg was untouched. Ed glanced around and found the hut abundant with various metals.

            “Sorry Marcus, I’ll pay you back when I have a chance.” He clapped his hands and a spark flew about his hands.

            Ed made a quick inventory of the different metals in the area, trying to decide which metal would be best for his automail. The variety was near endless, he felt like a child in a candy store at what was available, but image his surprise when he came across a metal he never encountered before.

            It was lighter than lithium, more durable than titanium and at this moment, more valuable than gold. He’s never encountered such metal. He must have it. Determined, he manipulated the fine metal into his automail leg. Both Marcus and Zack watched in awe as his damaged metal leg lost all its dents and smoothed out with sheen.

            “Oh cool! What kind of magic is that?” Zack asked excitedly.

            Satisfied, Ed rolled his pants back down. “It’s not magic, it’s alchemy.”

            “I’ve never seen a materia that could be use to repair prosthetics. I’ve seen materia that gives the user the ability to throw fire and lightening, but I’ve never seen it repair things before. What kind of magic are you using?” Marcus asked.

            Ed frowned. “What is materia? I’m using alchemy. Alchemy is a science! The rules of equivalent exchange to get something, you must have something equal of value in exchange. It’s not magic!”

            “Materia is…” Marcus paused for a second as if to think over the answer. “Well, I’m not all too sure what they are, but it has something to do with mako energy and anyone who knows how to use it could do special things with it… depending on which materia you have of course.”

            “Cinna’s shop has materia.” Zack quipped. “We can show Ed what it is.”

“I don’t think Cinna wants you to be bothering his business.” Marcus added.

            Ed became quiet, what were these weird people talking about? It’s nice of them to give him a place to rest after the traumatic ordeal with Truth, but he was starting to doubt their sanity with how they argued over him. He snuck away with the map when the argument became heated. Maybe he could find some sane people to talk to before they finished bickering.

            However, the moment he stepped out, he felt the choke of the thick humidity. He hadn’t noticed inside the hut because of the roaring flames, but there was nothing out here to evaporate the moisture. He gagged and struggled for a breath. It never got this humid back home. A gush of breeze from the river made breathing a little easier, but it did little else to help with the humidity.

            Ed stood at the door and stared at plains, it reminded him a little of Resembool, but the similarities ends there as he spotted a forest in a short distance away. A large construct jutted out from the center of a forest, towering over the forest. Completely encased in metal, he could make out a logo printed on the side, but he couldn’t read what was on it. There was nothing like it in Amestris.

            “Cool huh?” Zack’s voice caught him from behind. “That’s the mako reactor Shinra built a couple years back. Gongaga is in the middle of the forest where the reactor is.” He grinned brightly at Ed. “Old man Marcus said you can stay until you’re better. What do you say?”

            “What do you guys get out of helping me?” Ed narrowed his eyes. He learned not to trust people so easily. Not after what he went through.

            “Well… Marcus is just a nice guy. But I on the other hand…” Zack cupped the side of his face and gave a mischievous whisper. “I need him to train me and if you’re around, it’ll give me an excuse to come here and bug him.” He snickered. “Come on, I’ll even show you how a materia works when we get to Gongaga. I’ve been bugging Cinna to give me training on how to use materia too. So I could definitely show off! It’s going to be so awesome! Can you fight? You can probably fight right? Since you probably got that leg from getting into a nasty fight… though does that mean you lost? But then you have that cool—”

            Ed covered his mouth regretting he ever questioned the boy. “Zack.” He stopped him. “Let’s just get Marcus and go.”

 


	2. Materia Knowledge

            “Ed look! Ed look! ED! YOU’RE NOT LOOKING! OOMPH!” Zack shouted as he promptly ran into a tree aided by the time materia.

            “Hmmm? You’re doing great Zack.” Ed said offhandedly as he flipped through the pages in the book on material.

            A week passed since Ed arrived in the plains of Gongaga. Marcus had been a generous host to him, but once Ed was familiar to the terrain and monsters in the area, he had taken himself to the small hotel in Gongaga rather than inconvenience the man.

            True to his word, he paid Marcus back by transmuting his lesser metals into mythril. Of course, that was after he completely dissected the new metal and made notes of it for himself. The man was so excited of the excess he had even paid him in gil, the current world’s currency, so that he could begin to fend for himself.

            Though Ed was certain the man had given him less than the real value of the metals, he was not complaining. The man needed to make a living and he was already generous enough to host him when he wasn’t obligated. Ed wouldn’t blame him for shortchanging him; he expected it.

            “Ed!” Zack whined. “You’re supposed to help me with my training. How am I supposed to get better if you don’t help me?”

            “You need to concentrate. Your problem is your ability to focus. That’s the reason why you couldn’t control yourself after inducing haste. Concentrate on doing one thing and stop daydreaming.” Ed commented as he glanced up. He found Zack tangled into a tree. How the boy managed, he will never know.

            “Eh…little help?” Zack laughed sheepishly.

            Ed sighed and tucked the book under his arm as he yanked the younger boy out. When Zack first introduced him to materia he was skeptical. Magic was nonsense that non-scientists used to explain the unexplained. How would a little orb produce something similar to an alchemic feat with nothing but the user’s mental capacity to cast? Ed scoffed when he saw the first materia Zack showed him. He gave no thought to it as he grasped onto the small orb. He never expected to feel as though he opened the gate. Zack had to pull the materia from his hand before he went insane from the knowledge.

            After Zack took the materia away, Ed found the knowledge was still in his mind. Unlike the natives, he was capable of using the knowledge without needing the materia. Shortly after, haste became his favorite skill to use to aid him in speeding through what little books Gongaga had about the world he was in. He had no use for Zack, but he still found himself using the money from Marcus to buy the boy an armlet and a material.

            Why did he bother? Ed wasn’t sure. For the past week, weird dreams plagued his sleep. Broken dreams that made little to no sense. There were too many of them to remember anything clearly, but Zack was in all of them.

            Ed yanked the boy out of the tangle of vines and the boy yelped as he toppled to the ground.

            Was Truth trying to tell him something through his dreams? What does it mean if it is him? The only reason he stayed in Gongaga for so long was to make sure nothing happened to him, but nothing happened. While he was concerned for Zack, he needed to leave. He needed more information and this little village had none.

            “I’m leaving tomorrow.” Ed noted when the other started his next attempt.

            Zack turned to him in surprise; he lost his concentration and cast slow on himself. “Whhhhy?” He dragged out.

            Ed’s lip quirked up slightly. “I need to find a way home and I’ve already gone through every book in your village pertaining to materia. I need more information.”

            Zack looked annoyed as he frowned thoughtfully. Since he was slowed, he was no longer able to blabber on like normal. “Maaaaarrrrccuuuussss.”

            Ed raised a brow. “You want me to talk to Marcus? He doesn’t have a clue about materia.”

            Zack shook his head slowly. “Plaaaaaccess.”

            The blond rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I do need to know where I could get the information.” He agreed. “Thanks Zack.” He clapped a hand on his shoulder and turned to leave.

            “Edddddddddd!” Zack whined.

            A sly grin crossed the blond’s face as he glanced back at the younger boy. “Don’t worry, monsters don’t venture this close to the village. Have fun practicing.” He laughed and left for Marcus’ hut. 

            With a quick cast of haste, Ed cleared the distance within the hour. Leaving Zack behind ensured a safer trip with less chances of them running into monsters. Even though the youth absorbed everything he taught like a sponge, he was still a novice when it came to combat and he really wasn’t in the mood to babysit.

Knock-knock…

            “Marcus, I need to talk to you about something.” Ed said as he let himself in. Marcus rarely locked when he was home.

            “Sorry Ed, I’m a little busy.” The man said as he hammered away at a glowing red blade.

            “It’s all right. I’m not going to take much of your time. I just wanted to know if there was anywhere around here that would have an abundance of information on materia.”

            “Why’d you ask?” Marcus lifted the hammered blade and tested the heft and balance.

            “I need to leave Gongaga. It’s time I find a way home.”

            “You mean that other world you were talking about?” Marcus studied the blade again until he was satisfied and dipped it into the cool bath. The water hissed and steamed.

            “I’m not crazy. Everything I said is true.” Ed retorted.

            “I’m not saying you are. As impossible as it seems, I believe you. I’ve never seen anyone that uses magic the way you do.”

            “It’s not magic, it’s science!” Ed argued.

            Marcus ignored his protest. “And the alchemy you use, there’s nothing like it here. You melded mythril into your prosthetic without the middle step of melting and shaping.”

            “Then what’s the problem?” Ed asked. “If you believe me what’s the problem?”

            “I said I trust you, but that doesn’t mean other people would. If you go about you’re from another world how long do you think it’ll be before they ship you off to some institution?”

            “I won’t tell anyone what I told you and Zack. I just want to go home Marcus. There’s nothing else left in the village for me.”

            Marcus sighed as he drew the blade from the water and carried it over to the grinder. “Are you sure you want to go? It’s a dangerous world out there and you’re barely used to the monsters in this region.”

            “I’ll stock up on potions and remedies.” Ed was determined to leave.

            Marcus breathed through his nose as he set the blade aside and turned to Ed. “…There are three places right now that are studying materia, but I would rather you go to Cosmo Canyon first before trying the other two places.”

            “Does it have to do with Shinra?” Ed asked. “Or do you just want to keep an eye on me?” If he remembered the map correctly, Cosmo Canyon was only a river away from the Gongaga forest.

            “The reason I’m suggesting Cosmo Canyon first is because of Shinra. The people of Cosmo Canyon don’t take what the company is doing well. They think the company is killing the Planet.”

            “Killing the planet?” Ed frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

            “That’s what you’ll have to ask them. I don’t really know much.” Marcus answered truthfully. “But from what I heard, the company isn’t all that innocent as it puts itself out to be.”

            “…All right, I’ll ask them when I go.” Ed said as he grasped onto his chin thoughtfully.

            “Before you go, I have something to give you. It’s not much, but it’s better than being weaponless. It’s dangerous nowadays to travel without a weapon or two at hand.”

           

            “I don’t need a weapon Marcus, I have my alchemy and I can make weapons out from my surroundings.” He argued.

            The man snorted. “I’ve seen those so call weapons you make to spar with Zack. Those are nothing more than toys. Whatever you make can’t match a blade tempered and honed to perfection in the roaring flames. Now where did I put it?”

            Ed gave a weak smile as the man rummaged about. Marcus was truly a kind man. He helped him again and again despite the fact Ed was a stranger.

            “Ah-ha!” The weapon maker exclaimed in triumph as he pulled out a belt with two scabbards. “I made this a while ago, but with the war and everything, daggers had gone out of style and most people prefer to use swords, spears or guns. Not many people order daggers or short swords anymore. I think you’d put it to better use than my weapon rack.”

            Ed took the belt and pulled the blade from its scabbard. He was surprised to see that the blade was made of mythril and a magic guard. He could see the empty materia slots gazing up at him. Not likely he would need those.

            “Marcus, You don’t have to—”

            “I insist.” The man clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I have one more thing to give you.”

            “Marcus really. I don’t—” Before he could protest more, the man slipped a green orb into his hands.

            Ed felt a jolt as information poured into mind with every little detail on how to treat and handle wounds. Marcus pulled it away when Ed was immobilized and inserted the orb into one of the slots. Ed let out a gasp when the grip of knowledge released him.

            “I know you said you can use magic even without materia, but you never know when you might actually need it. Best to have it with you just in case.”

            “Thanks…” Ed said breathlessly as Marcus returned the blade to the sheath. He has to be careful with the materia when he uses the blade.

            “Now where’s Zack? I’m surprised he’s not with you. Ever since you appeared, he’s been glued to your hip… Almost literally, so how did you give him the slip?” Marcus asked curiously.

            Ed grinned. “Nothing to do with me. More like he accidentally cast slow on himself and probably still trying to cast haste to reverse it, nothing to do with me at all.”

            Marcus slapped his knee laughing. “Well, that’s to be expected, but really, you should probably give him a proper goodbye before you leave.”

                  “I still need to buy some supplies before I go. So, I’m not exactly leaving just yet.” Ed grimaced at the thought of having to say goodbye to Zack. He could feel the headache coming on already.

            “Good luck.” Marcus said with mirth as he reached out for a farewell handshake.

            Ed smiled and returned the man’s sentiments. “I’ll stop by before I head to Junon.”

            “J-Junon?”

            “I’m not a complete dunce Marcus. Even if you didn’t tell me to go to Cosmo Canyon, I would’ve gone to Junon or Midgar.”

            The man sighed. “Best of luck to you then.”

            “Thanks.”

o.o.o.o.o

            Zack couldn’t believe that Ed would leave him hanging like this. After telling him everything he knew, he expected the older boy to trust him to go find Marcus together. Instead he left him back at Gongaga without even helping him with the slow spell.

            Just a little more!

            He was almost ready to cast again. After the initial screw up, he tried casting haste again and again, but by the time he built up enough energy, a distraction always gets him and he ends up casting slow on himself again. Half an hour and annoyed, Zack decided to give up and wait for the spell to wear off. By then, it was too late for him to venture out to Marcus. The hottest part of the day is over; all the wild monsters would be out hunting.

            Even with how rash Zack is, he wasn’t stupid. Whenever he ventured to Marcus, he always chose high noon when the monsters hides from the sun and scorching heat. Each time he ventured out, he risked getting a heat stroke, but at least he knew he wouldn’t get mauled to death by monsters.

            Zack sat at the entrance of the village and grumbling about all the things he’s going to do to Ed while he waited for him to come back. By the time the blond did return, he forgotten everything he planned to do and tagged along to complete Ed’s shopping trip.

            “Hey Zack, you do know I’m leaving tomorrow right?” Ed asked as he handed Cinna, the shop keep, the money for the bag of supplies.

            “But you’re coming back right?” Zack commented cheerfully. “You’re going to come back and continue training me right?”

            “I’ll come visit.” Ed said quietly.

            Zack looked disappointed. “Visit? Where are you going that’s going to take you away for so long?”

            “I need to find a way home Zack. I can’t stay forever, you know.” Ed said gently as he ruffled the spiky-haired youth’s head. “Besides, it’s not like you’re going to stay in Gongaga forever. You wanted to join the military right?”

            “I’m going to become SOLDIER!” Zack lit up.

            Ed grinned. “Then we’ll meet up in Midgar.”

            “Just you watch Ed, I’m going to become a First Class SOLDIER like Sephiroth! How cool would that be?” Zack chattered away for the rest of the trip.

o.o.o.o.o

            Clap, haste. Clap, slow. Clap, confuse.

            Ed went through his preliminary spells before he drew out his twin mythril blades. He left before the crack of dawn to avoid Zack and his goodbyes. The boy was incorrigible. Sure, he enjoyed his energy, but there should be a limit to how much energy he needs to deal with. He decided it was easier to follow the path of the water rather than venturing through the open plains. It was less likely for him to get lost and it was closer to where he needed to go.  He came across mostly Beachplugs with a pesky guard skill, but he rather spends more time fighting those things than Touch Me Frogs.

            Thrust, parry, sidestep, back-step, back flip, hand spring, dodge.

            By the time Ed stopped for a break, he could see the other side of the riverbank. Crossing the river might be a problem. He could easily make himself a boat or a raft, but he’d risk the current dragging him out to sea.

            Before he could decide what to do, a cry for help caught his attention. “Someone help me!” A man cried out.

            Ed searched for the voice and found it by a bridge some distance down the river. It was hard to see from where he stood, but at least he didn’t have to worry about finding a way across. Ed clapped his hands again to renew his haste as he hurried towards the cry for help. As he neared he could see a group of flying penguins attacking a lanky man.

            With another clap, he cast confuse on the birds and charged in with blades ready. However, the skin was so thick; it was near impossible for him to penetrate the monster. The birds retaliated slamming their pudgy body at him and nearly knocked him off his feet. Ed planted his feet firmly as he slid back, flailing his arms to catch his balance as he nearly stumbled. The birds squawked angrily and charged again.

            Ed gritted his teeth as he clapped again and he touched the ground. In seconds the spikes on the ground skewered the offending monsters.

            “I’ve never seen a Quake materia do that.” The man murmured when the monsters gave their last twitch.

            Ed returned the ground back to normal with a grimace; he didn’t want to show off his skills to anyone just yet. “You okay?” He asked. “What were you doing out here all alone? Don’t you have materia or weapons?”

            “Well, yes… I lost it when the monsters ambushed me. I’m not really a fighter you see. I’m more like a scientist.” The man explained.

            Ed perked up with great interest. “Scientist? What’s your specialization?”

            “I study bestiary and the link materia has to Planet. I’m Fuhito.” The man glanced at him expectantly for his introduction.

            “Just call me Ed.” Ed replied, eager to get pass the introductions. “You spoke about materia, how well verse are you on the matter? I’m actually heading to Cosmo Canyon hoping to get some more information.”

            Fuhito’s glasses glinted as he pushed it up the bridge of his nose. “Are you planning to make yourself more powerful with materia?”

            “I’m not interested power.” He waved off the notion. “I’ve had enough trouble to last a lifetime.” Ed answered. “I actually want to learn a little more about the planet and how materias came to be. The books in Gongaga weren’t all that helpful.” 

            “Ah, you’re from Gongaga. Strange, you don’t have that distinct accent they have.” The scientist noted.

            “I’m a bit of a traveler, not from anywhere really.” Ed continued. “Do you need to go look for your things? I could help you out a little before I continue to Cosmo Canyon.”

            A faint smile touched the man’s lips. “That would be much appreciated.” He said as he walked off with Ed following close behind him. “So what did you do back there with the Quake materia? I’ve never seen one that does spikes from the ground before.”

            “Really? It always did that.” Ed lied, not wanting to bring up the topic of alchemy with a stranger he just met.

            “Is that so? Do you think it’s possible for me to study the materia? It might be a new branch.” The man suggested enthusiastically despite his cool tone.

            “Maybe some other time.” Ed replied as they came across a claw on the ground with three materia slots with one linked slot. “Interesting weapon.”

            “Near useless during an ambush though.” Fuhito said as he slipped it back onto his hand. “Now…” He turned to Ed coolly. “You said you wanted to go to Cosmo Canyon right? I’m actually staying there right now, I could show you the way.”

            “Really?” Ed asked.

            Fuhito gave a faint smile. “It’s only fair since you save me.”

            “Equivalent exchange huh?” Ed grinned. He likes this Fuhito character. 

             “Something like that. You are very lucky.” He continued as they walked into the canyon.

            “Why do you say that?” Ed asked as they trekked through the barren lands.

            “Because it’s an invite only village. We don’t normally let people into the village that easily especially with Shinra growing in power.” He explained as a dark expression crossed his face. “They’re killing the Planet with what they’re doing.”

            Ed frowned. “Marcus said something similar when he spoke about Cosmo Canyon. Exactly how is Shinra killing the planet? They’re just an electric company right? Albeit a powerful one to have a army of its own.”

            “They’re killing the planet by drawing its life force out of it.”

            “What does that mean?” Ed questioned curiously. 

            “Mako energy, as they call it, is actually part of the life stream. The life stream is fueled by a cycle of life and death. Regardless if it’s a plant, human or monster, everything is interconnected.”

            “So essentially the life stream is a flow of souls that keeps the planet alive… and they’re using it to power light bulbs!” Ed said in disbelief. The thought was unthinkable. “How could they use souls to do that?”

            “What do you think materia is?” Fuhito stared at him confused. “Materia is solidified mako energy.”

            Ed paled as he looked at the hilt of his blade and the soft glow of his cure materia. These things were essentially philosopher stones.  He felt sick.

            Fuhito chuckled. “Don’t look so horrified, materias form naturally in mako springs for the most part. No one had to die for it to be created… though Shinra is studying on how to mass-produce these materias. You never know what they do to get results.” He shook his head. 

            That didn’t make Ed feel any better, but he said nothing as they continued in silence. That hadn’t been what he was looking to learn when he went in search on information on materia. Maybe there’s a connection to his world from this world after all. Maybe alchemy is a lost art and these materias were what replaced it. Rather than being all is one and one, it became all about one.

            “Ed?” Fuhito’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “We’re here.”

            The blond alchemist looked up in surprise as he took in Cosmo Canyon. The village was built into the side of the mountain. A leather banner stretch at the village’s entrance held up by two bamboo trunks marking the village as Cosmo Canyon. He could see the glow of a bonfire a short distance away and the observatory at the peak of the village.

            “Are you going to stand there or are you coming up?” Fuhito asked as he ascended the stairs. Ed shook off his awe and hurried up the steps. Two guards stood at the top with spears crossed to block their path. “This is Ed, he’s my guest.”

            The guards looked at one another for a moment before reluctantly removing their weapons and allowing their entrance. Immediately as they entered a girl spotted them and rushed over with a bright smile.

            “Fuhito you’re back!” She called out cheerily.

             “Elfé.” Fuhito returned the greeting as she stopped short a few feet from them. “How are you feeling today?”

            “Much better, Shears was training me. Guess what? I could kill a Wyerd in one blow now!” She chirped excitedly before noticing Ed behind him. “Who’s this?”

            “This is Ed, he saved me early after a little mishap with my equipment.” Fuhito explained easily. “It’s nice talking to you Elfé, but I need to introduce Ed to Bugenhagen.”

            “All right, talk to you later then!” She chirped before running off. Ed found his eyes trailing after the girl as she left.

            “Keep your eyes to yourself that girl is off limits.” Fuhito commented as he urged him to follow.

            Ed flushed red. “I’m not interested in her! It’s just that… she has a materia embedded in her hand.”

            Fuhito became quiet. “That’s for her to tell you if she’s willing. It’s a rather private matter.”

            “Fair enough.” Ed commented as they trekked through the man-carved caverns and made their way up to the observatory.

            Ed could understand the need for secrets and he has his fair share. Just as they went through another tunnel he caught something red at the corner of his eye. When he turned for a better look he only caught the flicker of flame disappearing. Not wanting to fall behind, his hastily followed Fuhito up the ladder and towards the observatory.  

            “Oh, ho, ho, ho!” A hearty bellow came from what Ed would call an odd geezer. The elderly man sat atop a floating green ball with his long white beard flowing over his lap. With that much beard, he could’ve made a decent wig for his baldhead. “Well, well. I never expected a guest of your stature to visit our Cosmo Canyon.” 

            “Bugehagen?” Fuhito frowned in confusion.

            “Thank you for bringing our guest here Fuhito. I would like to speak to him alone for a moment please.” The elderly man said before Fuhito stiffly nodded and left. “My, my. I’ve never expected the Planet to send me her personal warrior.”

            “I’m no warrior.” Ed frowned. “And I don’t recall ever being sent here by the planet. Heck, I don’t even know much about it.”

            “Maybe you don’t know her by the name of Planet, but she did send you here to fulfill a task were you not?” Bugenhagen commented.

            “…A task?” Ed’s frown turned into realization. “You’re talking about Truth! You know how to contact him?”

            “So you know the Planet as the truth, interesting.” The man stroked his long white beard. “I am sorry young warrior, I do not know how to make contact, only a Cetra could communicate with the Planet, but even then they can own obtain a vague message.”

            That sounds very much like a conversation with Truth, you never get a clear-cut answer.

            “There are few Cetras left nowadays. It’s a sad fact.”

            “Where can I find them? The Cetras I mean.” Ed asked eagerly. If he could get in contact with one of the, he have hopes to getting back. Or at least have someone he could talk to about the gate.

            “…That I do not know.”

            Ed’s shoulders slumped dejectedly.

            “However, you did come to learn more about materia have you not? The canyon’s knowledge is your knowledge, you are welcome here anytime young warrior.”

            …Well, there’s still that at least.

            “…Thank you.” Ed whispered.


	3. Failed Task

            _It was that dream again..._ Ed found himself drifting amidst his dream.

            The ground shook—no, the ride was bumpy. Across the seat was a silver-haired man staring out the window with a bored expression. Beside him was an abnormally long blade, six feet to be exact. He said nothing, but there were sounds, sounds of someone chattering. He couldn’t hear it clearly, but it sounded familiar. Shifting his vision, he found a familiar mop of black hair moving up and down doing squats. No wonder it was so shaky.

            Sitting on the opposite end of the silver-haired man were two young men in uniforms, he recognized them as infantrymen uniforms from the papers. They were nothing more than grunts, but one of them stood out greatly with his soft gold spiked locks. He looked nauseous, must be carsick. The familiar black-haired man said something reassuring to the younger blond, but it didn’t seem to help. They stopped in front of a town; a girl sat at the entrance. When she saw them, she hurried to her feet and returned back to town.

            Ed struggled to focus, he wanted to see more, but the scene didn’t linger. The dream shifted to a quiet looking altar with a young woman praying. Her chestnut braid touched the ground where she knelt. She looked serene. He didn’t understand these dreams. What was it trying to tell him? The girl opened her warm green eyes and met with his. A smile touched her lips as she whispered something, but he couldn’t hear her.

            It faded and the next he saw was an old abandoned mansion. The gates swung precariously with a squeak of a much needed oiling. He watched as the scene moved pass the gates, pass the doors and stopped briefly at a stray piece of paper. He couldn’t read what was on the paper, but that didn’t matter. He was moving again. Up and down, up and down, he went through each of the rooms looking for something. He found a safe, but it didn’t stop there, it continued to another room, through a hidden passageway and down a foreboding spiral staircase. Where is this dream taking him?

            The damp and dark cavern lead towards a library, but that wasn’t it. Instead, it was after the hidden door outside the library. It was locked. Another shift, Nanaki was in a glass container like a caged animal. Another shift, a black man fled from infantrymen. Another shift, a man he screams in anguish at his controls, red lights flashed about him. Another shift, a man held a cat with a crown on its head and a cape on its back. The scene shifted faster and faster until nothing made sense anymore.  

            “Wake up little warrior, or it’s going to be too dangerous to travel.” A soft growl spoke.

            The images cleared as Ed’s eyes snapped open and he jumped the person who woke him. “Who are you calling so little that you need a microscope to see?”

            A low chuckle cleared the sleep-induced fog in his mind before Ed realized he was holding onto the red mane of Nanaki, one of Cosmo Canyon’s guardian beasts. “See I told you that would wake him up.” The red beast growled smugly as Deneh rolled her eyes and padded over to the two.

            “You are leaving today are you not young warrior?” She asked as Ed untangled himself from Nanaki.

            “I need to, there’s something I have to figure out.” Ed frowned. “Bugenhagen has been a great help, but I need to move on.”

            “Where are you heading?” Nanaki asked as he shook his ruffled fur back to normal.

            “I was thinking about that rocket launch site Fuhito was talking about a few weeks ago. See what Shinra is up to before I decide on what to do.” Ed clarified as he got up and stretched.

            “I don’t see why you’re so interested in the people who are destroying the Planet.” Nanaki snorted as Ed went about changing and packing.

            “Know thy self and know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories” Ed quoted from some book by a Xing general. Though the equivalent to Xing was probably Wutai.

            “A wise tactic young warrior. Will you return some day?” Deneh asked as Nanaki snorted.

            “I don’t know what I’ll find yet, but if I can I’ll try to come by and say hi at least.” Ed commented.

            Deneh nodded before swatting the aloof Nanaki with her paw.  “You should take a leaf from the young warrior Nanaki.”

            The guardian beast made a face at his furry companion. Ed grinned at their interactions. He was going to miss the petulant cub as Bugenhagen called him. After a hearty breakfast, Ed set out towards the Nibel Mountains. The trip was fairly peaceful, with a stray bird or two that shot lightening at him, but other than that his trip was uneventful. It took a good portion of the morning to get out of the canyon and cross the river towards the Nibel region.

            By noon, he found himself walking up a strangely familiar road. A nagging feeling gnawed at his stomach when he first stepped into the Nibel valley. It was as if he was here before. It wasn’t until he reached the mouth of the town that he was certain he wasn’t insane. This place in his dreams, but there was no silver-haired man or his posse.

            In fact, the town seems to be in a frantic frenzy as the townspeople gathered at the center of the town. Always one for curiosity, Ed followed the townspeople and listened in.

            “Thank you everyone for coming, we have an emergency. My daughter, Tifa, is missing. One of the boys said she went into the mountains.”

            The townspeople gasped. “Why would she do such a thing?”

            “She’s only ten!”

            “The mountain’s filled with monsters! We have to find her.”

            Ed frowned as his brow furrowed in worry. He glanced to the townspeople, if they weren’t old and frail, they didn’t look like they could put up a good fight with monsters. They might have some trouble if they did run into monsters.

            “Excuse me.” A soft voice called out from the chattering crowd. “Has anyone seen my Cloud? Excuse me.”

            Ed spotted a worried blond woman weaving through the crowd while writhing the handkerchief in her hands anxiously. When no one bothered with her, he decided to ask her what was wrong. It wasn’t right for these men to ignore a worried mother like this.

            “Ma’am, is there something wrong?” He approached her carefully, not to frighten her.

            She glanced up to him hopefully before the light dashed from her eyes. “You’re an outsider.” She murmured.

            “But I can still help. Why are you so worried?” He asked.

            The woman eyed him warily at first before burying her face in her hands. “It’s my little Cloud! I don’t know where he’s gone, he’s been missing all day.”

            “How old is Cloud?” Ed asked gently trying to keep the woman from crying.

            “He’s ten. Cloud is a very quiet boy, but he’s a good boy. He doesn’t have any friends. I don’t know where he could’ve gone.”

            Also ten? Can it be a coincidence? Is someone kidnapping children? No, the townspeople said the girl Tifa had gone to the mountains on her own… maybe this boy followed her? Either way he was going to check.

            “Don’t worry, I’ll find him for you.” Ed promised.

            He went off looking for the two missing children. The townspeople had scattered in their search, but none of them seemed to care that there was another child missing. That didn’t settle well with Ed as he scoured the area for clues and details the townspeople might’ve missed.

            What he found was a snapped rope bridge and a long drop down the side of the Nibel Mountains. Worried they might’ve fallen he made a swift clap and planted his hands on the ground. Within seconds the familiar alchemic spark lit the air as steps formed in a spiraling manner down the mountainside. Ed made certain it kept to a spiral so it’d remain close the material he used for the construction. Otherwise it would’ve fallen apart.

            Must maintain the same mass, not one area could have more or less than the other. Ed mentally went through a checklist of places to check as he went down. It was so barren, barely any green showed on the rocky trails. He could barely hear the distant calls for Tifa from above.

            As he continued on, Ed kept his eyes out the children. He mentally cursed himself for forgetting to ask how the two looked, but fortunately, he spotted a head of bright blond hair. As he hurried over, he noted how soft the ground was in the area. Hopefully, it was enough to cushion the fall and no great harm came to the child.

            When he neared, he spotted another body not too far from the first. It was a little girl in a blue dress, Tifa no doubt. He brushed a hand over the cure materia briefly before he inspected the two. Tifa had a fracture bone or two, nothing the cure materia couldn’t fix, while Cloud was surprisingly free from any major injures sans minor scratches. He clapped his hands before a wave of green light washed over the girl. Once he was sure the girl was not in danger he walked over to the blond and knelt down.

            “Hey kid.” Ed shook the younger boy awake.  

            “Ngh…” Cloud groaned as he glanced up to him groggily. It took a moment before his blue eyes focused and he jumped to his feet frantically. “Tifa! Where’s Tifa? She—we fell after the bridge snapped! Is she okay?”

            Ed placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders to calm him down. “She’s fine, some minor injuries, but nothing too big a cure materia can’t fix.” The boy looked relieved for a second, but depressed the next. Ed didn’t need to ask why, the boy felt guilty. “Listen, I’m sure neither of you wanted this to happen, but it did. She’ll be fine.”

            Cloud said nothing.

            “Look, be glad neither of you died. I don’t know why the two of you decided to come out here on your own as you did, but there’s a woman back in the village looking everywhere for you. I think she would be pretty sad if something where to happen to you. You wouldn’t want to make her sad now right?”

            The boy looked as if he was about to cry.

            Ed sighed. “If you’re upset about this, then get strong so the next time something like this happens again, you can protect her.”

            Cloud remained quiet. There was no getting through to him. Ed gave up trying to cheer up the boy and picked up Tifa carefully from the ground. Even though he casted cure on the girl, she was far from being fine. With an unconscious Tifa in tow, they made their way back to the town uneventfully. The man that was looking for Tifa turned out to be her father and the mayor of the town. He was more than elated to see his daughter back safe and sound, but at the sight of Cloud he scowled nastily.

            “What the hell were you thinking Cloud? She could’ve died! You thought it was fun to drag poor Tifa to the mountains like that?” Another man scolded. 

            Cloud shied away from their harsh words, but Ed did not. He frowned as he took a step in front of Cloud to shield him. “I think they’ve both gone through enough today. Why don’t you back the hell off?”

            “And who do you think you are outsider?” The man snapped.

            “The one who found your mayor’s daughter. Now, back off before I decide to do something you’ll regret.” The man seemed like he wanted to retort, but another townsmen dragged him off before he could get into a full-blown fight. When Ed turned back to check on Cloud, he found the boy staring at him admirably with widen eyes. “Do you need help getting home?”

            Cloud shook his head. “…Do you think I could get stronger?”

            “Just keep working at it, you’ll eventually get stronger.” Ed ruffled his head as a smile graced the boy’s lips.

            He stayed only a moment longer to make sure Cloud returned to his mother before he moved on again. Seeing the mother and son pair reminded him of his own mother and his missing little brother. He shook the thoughts from his mind as he made his way up the mountains again.

            With the bridge out, Ed had to take the long way through. There were odd cycloptic bats and fire creatures that resembled a bomb, but neither were much of a problem with his alchemy and magic. The scenic view contained nothing but grey mountains until he noticed a red colored stream. A chill went up his spine as memories of red water back home flooded his mind.

            Was someone trying to make the philosopher’s stone here? Alchemy wasn’t non-existent here, it’s just not well known.

            Ed hurriedly followed up the stream, straying from his original path as he went. To his surprise, the stream took him to a materia cave. He could feel a flood of information trying to attack him from all sides, but as long as he doesn’t touch the walls or the ground with his bare hands or feet, he should be safe from the barrage of information. Trying to avoid touching the materia cave, Ed continued to follow the steady stream, until he found a glowing red stone sitting at the mouth of the source of the water.

            He stood there stunned at the familiar glow, it looked like the philosopher’s stone with its red sheen and glow of power, but there was something different as well. It resembled a materia even more in appearance with its spherical shape. Hesitantly, Ed reached out and pulled the small glowing sphere out of the stream’s opening. It felt nothing like a philosopher’s stone, nor was he barraged by information by the red orb. Instead, warmth flowed up his arm and hugged him almost like a mother would.

            He held the sphere close to his chest as he savored the feeling. He hadn’t felt like this in ages and he didn’t want to let go.

            _I will serve you young warrior._ A gentle voice snapped him out of his stupor and he searched for the source. When he found none, he shook it off as a hallucination. It must be the loneliness getting to him.

            Not wanting to lose the precious warmth from the red orb, Ed slipped it into the empty materia slot in one of his daggers and continued on his way. To his surprise, this little sidetrack took him further into the mountains and outside of the mako reactor. It was the first time he was this close to a reactor. Back in Gongaga, he only saw it in a distance, but here…

            He felt uneased as he gazed up at the reactor. It was as if something was drawing him in. Ed turned his heel and made his haste to leave the reactor, but not five steps away from the reactor an inhuman roar cut through the air. Ed glanced up to the skies immediately and found a green dragon descending upon him. He dived away as the dragon shook the ground with its landing.

            “This world has dragons?” He said in disbelief as the creature turn its gaze on him. It’s fine, it’s fine. He still has his alchemy. He could take on a dragon. No problem right?

            The dragon rumbled under his breath as he stared at his prey hungrily.

            “Sorry Mr. Dragon, I can’t be lunch here today. So back off.” He clapped his hands together three times to cast his three spells: haste, slow and confuse—nothing. Ed stared at his hands in disbelief. Another clap, he planted his hands to the ground. Again, nothing.

            The dragon roared and charged at him.

            “…Shit.” Ed cursed under his breath as he turned his heel and ran.

            He tried clapping his hands again for something, anything! Nothing. Glancing behind, he found the dragon closing in the distance and forced himself to run faster, but no luck, the dragon had more speed and strength as it pounced and stomped on Ed’s fleshy heel. He let out a scream as he felt the bones crush under the dragon’s claw, but he didn’t stay still.

            He rolled away the instant the dragon swiped at him with his claw. Ed scrambled to touch the cure materia in hopes that it would work. Unfortunately, before he could utter the spell to activate the materia, a searing heat came from behind and engulfed him in a fiery death.

            _No! It can’t end this way!_ Ed thought desperately. He could smell the flames melting his automail leg and burning his flesh into an agonizing crisp. 

            Just when he thought it was all over, the familiar warmth returned and washed away the pain. “I will protect you young warrior.” The voice whispered as the mountains range of Mt. Nibel disappeared and whiteness filled his vision. He stumbled forward on his damaged leg and toppled to the ground.

            “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fullmetal, Fullmetal, was it really hard to just follow my instructions? Not to mention, you’ve nearly became dragon food.” The familiar voice of Truth had Ed up on his feet in seconds with a scowl on his face. 

            “Just what the hell did you want me to do?” Ed snapped. “You never told me anything! How the hell am I supposed to know what you wanted me to do?”

            Truth sighed. “I thought I was quite clear in your dreams. I wanted you to destroy Jenova.”

            “What the hell is Jenova? None of my dreams said anything about any Jenova.” Ed growled.

            “You were supposed to discover that on your own. I gave you all the hints and clues, but you simply didn’t take it.”

            “…Hints and clues?” Ed frowned as he thought back to his strange dreams. With so much going on in his dreams it was hard to tell what was what, but slowly and surely, he found the hints the he needed. “…That library… I was supposed to go to that library down in that mansion. It was in Nibelhiem wasn’t it?” Ed cursed again. “I must’ve passed it after saving the two kids.”

            “No matter, you failed. Do you have the answer yet? To get your little brother back?” Truth asked.

            Ed became silent.

            “Too bad then. Phoenix, be a dear and take him back. I hope you’ll be a bit better with the next task given.” Truth commented.

            “Wait! What’s the point in—” Ed wasn’t allowed to finish as a fiery bird appeared before him in all the whiteness of Truth’s realm. He was enveloped in that gentle warmth that took the pain away before he found himself at the foot of the Nibel Mountains on the other side. “Damn it Truth! How the hell am I supposed to know everything you’re thinking?” He shouted up to the sky.

            _You should pay more attention to your dreams young warrior. It’s quite clear if you take the time to look at it._ The gentle voice returned again.

            Ed snapped around searching for the voice, but he found no one. “Who’s there?”

            _My name is Phoenix. You retrieved me from the stream in the materia cave._

            “Where are you?” Ed asked cautiously.

            _On your blade and in your mind, I am a summon. By having me, you share a part of your mind with me and I share my powers with you. It is I who saved you from the dragon and brought you to Truth._

            “You’re the one who took me to Truth? You have the power to do that?” Ed asked in surprise. “Then take me to him again. I have some questions I need to ask him.”

            _I cannot._

            “Can’t or won't?” Ed frowned.

            _Cannot. Your life is not in danger nor is there a threat in the vicinity. And if you relentlessly search for danger, I will not assist._

            Ed scowled, trust the summon to stand on Truth’s side.

            _I stand with no one except my master’s side and at the moment you are my master, young warrior. Rather than lingering in past failures, why don’t you move on?_

            “How am I supposed to move on when I don’t even know what caused me to lose my alchemy? I was lucky that you were there to get me out of the tight spot, but I can’t always be that lucky.”

            _You have the information young warrior, try piecing them together._

            “You’re a whole lot of help!” Ed growled before falling back on the ground and staring up at the blue sky.

            Alchemy follows the rules of equivalent exchange the energy used to carry out transmutations was never questioned, but from May, he learned that the Xing alkahestry runs on the energy of the planet. Alchemy was a bastardized version of alkahestry created by Father with him leeching the majority of the energy the alchemists of Amestris draw up from the planet.

            Ed sat up in realization. The planet’s energy! That’s the answer! His alchemy and this world’s magic both run on the planet’s energy. He was next to a mako reactor when the dragon attacked. The reactor was drawing all the energy he needed to use alchemy and cast spells. He would have to be careful in the future when he’s near reactors again.

            After a thought and an idle brush of his hand over the two materias he had, he realized Phoenix was still able to activate when he was danger. Which means as long as he has materia he would still have spells on his side in a mako reactor area. Finally resolving the problem in his mind he jumped to his feet ready to continue on his journey, but upon taking a step forward, he noticed his automail leg wasn’t responding as well as it should.

            With a better look, he found part of the leg melted. He groaned loudly as he clapped his hands and tried to repair the prosthetic as much as he could. It was fortunate that he added mythril to the mix, or else his leg would’ve been completely gone. His automail looked a little worse for wear, Ed continued on his way to the rocket launch site. It would be pointless for him to return back to Nibelhiem at this point. Without materia to aid him, he was helpless if he was to pass the reactor again.

            From a distance, he could see construction machines uprooting trees making way for large metallic pieces to come through into the cleared forest. As he neared, he could hear the loudness of such machines. There was nothing of the sort back in his world. Sure, they have cars and whatnots, but never have he seen such an engineered monster of a machine.

            “Can I help you?” A woman’s voice drew his attention away from the construction site. “This area is restricted to Shinra personnel only.”

            Ed turned to face a brunette with glasses and a lab coat, a scientist he concluded. “I’m just a traveler passing by.”

            “All the way out here?” The woman raised a brow. “There’s nothing here.”

            “I’m traveling to Wutai.” He commented. “It’s safer through this path compared to the direct warzone Shinra’s in at the moment.”

            “Wutai?” The woman said in disbelief. “You know there’s a war and you’re still heading to Wutai?”

            “I’m a scientist, I’m not going to let some war stop me from continuing my studies.” Ed said determinedly.

            “A scientist you say?” The woman’s interest peaked. “What branch? Maybe I can help?”

            “I’m studying the aspects of mako energy and the uses for it, but more importantly I believe there’s a secret to be unlocked from these power encased orbs.”

            The woman looked thoughtful for a moment. “Mako energy you say?” She hummed in thought. “Well, I’m sorry to say that’s not my area of specialty.”

            “But I am interested in the project you’re starting here. I heard it has something to do with a rocket?” He commented. If he wanted to get into Shinra, he had to start somewhere. The rocket program was probably his best chance right now without needing to join the military straight up.

            The woman’s face lit up. “Why yes! Shinra is funding a space program. This will be the first time man has gone out of space if everything goes according to schedule.” She spoke adamantly, excited there was someone else that was interested in the matter.

            “I know this place is off limits to non-Shinra personnel, but do you think I could get a tour? I’m very interested in what you have to say about this space program.”

            The woman smiled. “Well… just this once. You seem harmless enough.”

            “My name is Ed. What’s yours?”

            “Shera and it’s a pleasure to meet you Ed.” She motioned for him to follow her.


	4. Growing Headaches

            “ZACK!” Marcus roared as the spiky-haired youth ran out laughing.

            It’s been nearly a year since Ed left, but that doesn’t mean Zack slacked off in the least. Daily he practiced with the materia Ed given him. He was quite proficient with the materia and it was hard to resist annoying the weapon maker. It was near impossible to find him when he has haste casted. It took nearly an hour before Marcus realized he rearranged his entire metal stash.

            “One of these days Zack! ONE OF THESE DAYS!” Marcus could be heard from a distance as Zack made his way back to Gongaga, his haste still running strong.

            “That was too easy.” Zack snickered as he strolled back to his village, but not before he encountered a large group of monsters.

            There were Touch Me frogs, Gagighandi and Flower Prongs. Gagighandi, had a tendency to petrify its targets. Zack raised his hand to his brow in concentration as he casted three spells in quick succession: haste, slow and confuse. That’ll buy him some time before the lizard manages to petrify him.

            He drew out his Hardedge. Marcus had refused to make him any weapons, but with hard work and determination, he managed to kill enough Touch Me frogs for their maiden kisses to sell to Cinna. It was a good 1,500 gil well spent in his opinion that he got the sword. It made clearing out monsters much easier and the other villagers seems to be grateful that he was doing something to protect the village.

            Slash, slash, slash, he sliced his way through the first Gagighandi with ease. The Touch Me frogs tried to latch onto him, but with a quick sidestep he avoided getting frogged before decapitating the offending creature with a spin. Keeping with the momentum, he twisted around and plunged the Hardedge into the Flower Prong in one swift motion.

            The battle took no more than five minutes and once the monsters were gone Zack grinned triumphantly and spun his blade over his head. He sheathed his weapon and surveyed his kill.

            “Heh, not even a challenge.” He nodded, pleased with the results.

            “You there!” A voice called out to him from the edge of the village.

            “Yeah?” Zack blinked as turned to the man. He never seen the stranger before, but the black suit he screamed wealth. A noticeable scar ran down from the corner of his eye underneath his sleek glasses.

            “How old are you?” The man asked.

            “Thirteen, why?” Zack asked.

            “Good enough, get in the truck.” He said as he shoved Zack along.

            “Hey, just wait a second!” Zack protested and stood firm. “Why should I go anywhere with you?”

            “Drafting, Shinra needs more people for its army.” The man said smoothly.

            “Wait, you’re here to recruit?” Zack’s face lit up.

            “No! ZACK!” His mother’s voice drew his attention away from the man. Another infantryman held her back.

            “Don’t worry ma! I’m just going to become a hero!” Zack said cheerily and latched onto the man’s arm. “So, how do I join SOLDIER? There are exams and stuff right? What do I have to do? I can’t wait to be in SOLDIER. The war in Wutai’s not over yet is it? Is it too late to join?”

            One question after another, the man could barely catch half of what Zack was saying. “Whatever, are you willing to come along?”

            “Do I get to meet Sephiroth?” By now, Zack’s eyes were shining with hope.

            “Zack Fair! You get back here right now! You’re not old enough for this yet!” His mother snapped from behind.

            “Sorry ma’am, we have his agreement.” The one holding his mother said as the other lead him towards the truck.

            “But I’m his mother! I have the right to—”

            “Don’t worry ma, I’ll come back and visit when I can!” Zack said reassuringly.

            “You’re going to war! It’s not a field trip!” The woman cried.

            Zack sighed with his brows furrowed. Guilt seeped into him as he watched his mother cry. He turned to the man with a serious expression. “Do you mind if I calmed my ma down before we go? And I should probably go pack my things too right?”

            He nodded. “You have ten minutes.”

            Zack grinned at him. “Thanks.” He said and ran to his mother. The infantryman released her and she quickly pulled Zack into a sobbing hug. “Oh come on ma, don’t be like that. You’re embarrassing me. I’m going to be fine. Remember all the training Ed gave me when he was here? I didn’t slack of a bit when he left. I’ll be fine.”

            “My baby!” She sobbed. “You’re not going to camp! You’re going to war!” She looked up and glared at the man in the black suit. “And you! You’re supposed to be one of us Travis! How could you just come back and take my baby to war?”

            “Zack is more than capable of taking care of himself and furthermore, we will be training him before we dispatch him to Wutai. It’s not beneficial to Shinra to lose men so easily.” The man named Travis commented.

            “Hey, how’d you know my name?” Zack asked before his mom tightened her hold on him.

            “Mrs. Fair, we’re on a tight schedule. If you please.” The man said civilly, but the infantrymen had already move to separate the mother and son.

            “But I haven’t packed my things!” Zack protested.

            “You have what you need to fight?” Travis asked.

            “Yeah, but—”

            “Then you have all you need. Shinra will provide the rest.” The man continued as he walked back to their transport.

            “Zack!” His mother screamed desperately, but the men easily held her off as Zack followed them to the truck.

            “Don’t worry ma, I’ll make sure to write! The next time you look at the newspaper, I’m going to be a hero! Just you watch!” Zack wasn’t given much more time to reassured his mother as he was pushed in by another infantryman.

            It took all of five minutes into the ride before the silence broke and Zack was chattering away a mile a minute.

            “So… your name is Travis huh? Were you from Gongaga? I don’t recall seeing you. How’d you get that scar on your face? How long is it going to take to get to Midgar? And do I get to meet Sephiroth? He’s really cool you know, I’m going to be a hero just like him!”

            “And you were such a quiet child.” Travis sighed when Zack stopped to breathe.

            “Huh?” The spiky-haired youth tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

            “Nothing.” The man said as he glanced out the window. “So you’re interested in SOLDIER. I suppose the propaganda is doing its job, but you are too young for them to accept you by normal means. We will have to venture another direction.”

            “Uh… what’s that supposed to mean?” Zack scratched his head puzzled.

            “It _means_ you have to prove yourself that you’re worth Shinra’s time. We’re going to have a trial period. If you make it through, I’ll push you through the SOLDIER program.”

            “And if I don’t?” Zack asked warily.

            “I go back and inform your mother of the unfortunate news of your passing.” Travis replied evenly.

            Zack gapped. “You’re just going to throw me to the wolves?”

            “There are hardly any in the Gongaga region.” Travis commented dryly. “No, you’ll be fighting that.”

            “That?” Zack questioned as he peeked out of the side of the moving vehicle. His face paled when he spotted the pink-hide creature that was waiting for him. “That’s a Dual Horn! It’ll take me forever to kill it!”

            Travis raised a brow. “But you can kill it?”

            Zack frowned. “Yeah, I think so. There aren’t many Dual Horns in the area.”

            A wry smile touched the man’s lips. “If you can kill this creature, I’ll make certain to nominate you as a SOLDIER cadet.”

            “Serious?” Zack’s eyes widened.

            “If you believe you can take on the monster.” Travis replied.

            “Lemme at him!” Zack hopped in his seat impatiently. “I’ve been looking for this one anyway!”

            After stopping some distance from the Dual Horn, Travis released the excited Zack at his target. He had expected the boy to charge in with a battle cry, but much to his surprise Zack used tack. He snuck up behind the Dual Horn and casted mini, of all things, on the creature.

            Travis watch in great amusement as Zack started to swipe at the miniaturized monster with his sword. Even at a smaller size, Dual Horns and its breed are known for their durable hide. But he has to wonder, where did a child like Zack get materias and knowhow to fight in that manner? There were no warriors in Gongaga. Most were merchants; the only warriors in the area were hired. An hour, six casts of mini and an exhausted preteen later, the Dual Horn was finally defeated.

            “How—huff—did—huff—I do?” Zack said as he collapsed into the car after dragging himself back from the fighting site.

            “I’ll write up your recommendation when I get back to Midgar.” Travis said as he entered the vehicle after him.

            “Yaaaaay…zzz…” Zack barely finished when he passed out with a snore.

            “Sir, is it all right that he dispatched Professor Hojo’s experiment?” The infantryman driving asked.

            “I’ll take responsibility for it. Don’t mention a word.” Travis said as he stared down at the young boy besides him.

o.o.o.o.o

            After speaking with Shera, Ed was introduced to Palmer, the director of the Space Program. The fat tub of lard knew nothing about the space program. All he cared about was food and his own gains. Ed probably knows more than him and he was an outsider. Albeit, rocket science wasn’t a difficult for him to understand, the mathematics was elementary compared to what was needed to understand alchemy.

            Had he wanted to, he could’ve stayed in the Space Exploration Department and made a name for himself. No, that wasn’t what he wanted. That wasn’t why Truth sent him here. In the last dream or rather the last message Truth sent, were three men. He recognized the man with the silver hair from his previous dreams he wield a ridiculously long sword against the other two at what seemed like Junon’s cannon.

            In his dream, their swords clashed, sparks flew and balls of flames barraged the silver-haired man. All this, took place forty stories in the air. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought they were homunculi. Unlike his other dreams, their faces were clear. Truth wanted him to do something with these men, but that will have to wait. He needed to secure a position in Shinra if he were to do anything in this world. If he learned anything from his old world—his world—everything requires money and good talent is always sought after. 

            When he met Palmer, the tub of lard knew right away that Ed was talent he couldn’t simply let go. The man dragged him off to Midgar in the matter of days via helicopter. Ed still marveled at the advanced technology; his world looked almost primitive compared to what they have here. Palmer got him an audience with the president. An hour of sucking up and bull shitting later, the man created a new department for materia specialization and the right to travel whenever he wished to _obtain_ ingredients for materia fusion.

            He was quite glad Marcus convinced him to go to Cosmo Canyon first. The knowledge he gained there was invaluable. Without it, his first months in Shinra would’ve been hell. With a new department and a number of new equipment, it was near impossible to find any semblance of order. It took ages to find and train up a team that could efficiently work with his demands.

Ed needed such a team for when he buries himself in reading the various research and text Shinra had to offer. Al had warned him that when he read, the world around him disappears and he was reminded again when he ran into a man with a red coat during one of his lunch breaks.

            “Be careful little one, you wouldn’t want to get hurt now would you?” A poetic voice spoke as he stumbled back.

            A vein throbbed at the side of his head as a familiar fuse blew. “Who are you calling so little that you could squash like an ant?” Ed roared clapping his hands and planting them to the ground.

            Nothing happened.

            “I know I am a new general, but hardly a kneel in such a manner is called for.” The man said in mirth.

            Ed stare at his hands in disbelief, it happened again, his alchemy was gone. He glanced up; startled that he recognized the auburn-haired man. He was the one raining fire on the silver-haired man.  

            “As if I’m bowing to you. You SOLDIER are full of yourselves.” Ed grumbled as he picked up the book he tossed in the middle of a clap.

            A small smile graced the man’s lips as he brushed his bangs aside. “I’m looking for Professor Elric.”

            Ed glanced at him warily. “Why are you looking for him?”

            “I was recently promoted to General and Director Lazard had said the dear professor will have a new materia for me when I come seek him. You wouldn’t know where to find him would you now?”

            The blond stared at him with annoyance. “Do you know _how_ to talk like a normal person? It sounds like you’re shitting poetry with every other word you’re saying.”

           “Does it annoy you?” The general grinned.

            Ed threw up his hands in annoyance.

            The auburn-haired man paused when he spotted the book he held. “You’re reading LOVELESS.”

            Ed glanced back to him before looking at the book. “Just curious to what the gift of the goddess refers to in the book. The interpretations noted in the notations make no sense whatsoever. From what I gathered, the goddess is a monster that tempts naïve idiots like the three friends into doing her bidding. By favoring one over the other, it’s natural the others would be in a less favorable situation. Leading to depression and whatnot. And when one is in depression, they do stupid things and leading themselves to self-destruction. What I don’t get is the mention of sacrifice in the end.”

            The man stared at him with an intensity he has only seen from Scar. “An interesting interpretation of LOVELESS.”

            “I gather you disagree with me.” Ed stood firm, not wavered in the least by his stare.

            The man gestured with an open hand. “If you continue reading you’ll find the last act is missing, leaving the whole play open to interpretations to what the goddess’s true motives are.”

            “Hmm…” Ed hummed, he expected a more violent reaction since it seemed like the man was an avid fan of the play. “And you are General…?”

            “Rhapsodos. Genesis Rhapsodos and you are?” The man gave a flourish wave of a hand.

            “Edward Elric.” He turned his heel with an amused grin at the man’s startled expression. “I think I know what type of materia would be quite suitable for you General Rhapsodos. Please follow me.”

            That was the first of many meetings with the general. Ed found out he was more than an avid fan of LOVELESS. The man _lives_ and _breathes_ the book every moment of his day. To say Ed was peeved was an understatement. When the general wasn’t busy with missions or mingling with his fellow SOLDIER he would be agonizing Ed in his lab about LOVELESS.

            If only he knew the goddess was just another name for Truth. Planet, goddess and all other names that refer to the unknown greatness were all Truth. While there were various art pieces and interpretations of these figures, he knew the formless entity could have easily taken form to whatever the artist at the time was envisioning.

            If he didn’t know better, it looked like Truth was trying to show off his huge ego. The blond tried not to think about it as he tried to decipher what the dreams meant. He knew there was something about Genesis, about SOLDIER. He looked into SOLDIER and quickly found the two other men in his dreams.

            The serious dark-haired man was General Hewley, like Genesis he raise through the ranks quickly after joining SOLDIER. The man was noted for his discipline and his famous speeches of honor and pride. Something Ed recalled hearing quite often from the lower ranked SOLDIER on the floor.

            General Sephiroth was the silver-haired man that dominated most of his dreams. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Zack had mentioned him countless times when he was in Gongaga. Truth was asking for the impossible. It would be hard enough to do something to a single general and he wanted him to deal with all three. 

            He saw Genesis in action when he took the Tri-Fire for a test run in the simulations. The inhuman bounds in height and the enormous strength he had in vanquishing his foes, Ed was sure he was no match for any one of these generals. Not to mention, his alchemy and magic was useless in Midgar without materia. There were eight reactors surrounding Midgar, drawing out any mako he could use. He was next to useless while inside the city limits.

            “What am I going to do?” He muttered to himself in front of the window staring down at Midgar’s mako smog.

o.o.o.o.o

            “OH YEAH! I MADE IT!” Zack cheered after spotting his name on the new SOLDIER roster. He had been itching for SOLDIER 3rd class uniform since he joined the cadet program a year ago.

            “Hey, not so loud. You’re going to eh…heh…” Kunsel said sheepishly as pointed glares from the failed cadets focused on them.

            “Ah no worries Kunsel, we can take ‘em!” Zack said in good nature. “No hard feelings eh?”

            “ _All new SOLDIER 3 rd Class, please report to SOLDIER floor 49. All new SOLDIER 3rd Class please report to SOLDIER floor 49._”

            “That’s us Kunsel! Let’s go!” Zack cheered as he latched onto his friend and dragged him along to the elevator.

            When Travis said he would recommend Zack into the program, the man kept his word. Zack passed the preliminary exams with full marks when the man with his recommendation. Once in the cadet program, he was placed in the advance courses, easily plowing through the physical and magical practical. The paper exam would’ve ruined him if not for his bunkmate Kunsel.

            He and Kunsel met during the first day of orientation. The older boy was a fountain of knowledge, always telling him the latest gossip and updates to whatever class assignments they were given. He wouldn’t know what to do without Kunsel.

            “Did you hear?” Kunsel started as they walked towards the elevator from the bulletin. “Shinra created a new department not too long ago in SOLDIER. I hear that they have an expert in materia fusion and the Firsts have dibs on the materias being produced. Even though the protocols calls for SOLDIER operatives to build strong ones themselves.”

            “Build strong ones themselves?” Zack asked.

            “You know, you have to earn your own strength. Any SOLDIER that’s worth their grain should be able to get strong materias on their own, but I’m guessing with the war with Wutai they’re getting a little desperate.”

            “Ah.” Zack nodded.

_Ding_

            “Floor 49, SOLDIER.” Kunsel commented breathlessly as they both got off and looked around the sleek design of the floor.

            The mission briefing room was easy to find, but seeing their superiors weren’t there yet, they decided to explore the floor. There were three main doors, one to the briefing room, one to training room and lastly the materia fusion room.

            “This place used to mass-produce the materias that gets sold to the public.” Kunsel continued his information insight. “Why they had it on the SOLDIER floor, I’m not too sure, but get this, the materia fusion thing I was telling you about earlier is done in that room there. I heard that it’s out done the Weapons Development Department.”

            Zack gave a low whistle. “The guy behind it must be awesome I bet.”

            “SOLDIER.” An authoritative voice called out.

            “Sir!” They swiftly turn and snapped into a stiff salute. Before them was General Hewley, the man had a huge Buster sword strapped to his back.

            “Are you two the new 3rds?” The man asked.

            “Sir, yes sir!” They said in unison.

            “Zack Fair, SOLDIER 3rd Class sir!” Zack recited duteously.

            “Kunsel Tenren, SOLDIER 3rd Class sir!” Kunsel followed.  

            “Good, as you may know. I’m General Hewley. Feel free to call me Angeal. I’m in charge of training the new thirds such as yourselves. We are at war, so I expect both of you to give me your best. Deserters are not taken lightly, but I doubt either of you would do so. Congratulations in becoming 3rds. I look forward to—”

            “ED!” Zack lost his composure when he spotted the familiar blond in a lab coat.

            “What?” The blond glanced up just in time to get plowed to the ground by the enthusiastic Zack and his friendly hugs. “Zack?” He said in disbelief as the youth pulled back from his hug and sat in his lap like an excited child.

            “What are you doing in Shinra? Did everything go all right in Cosmo Canyon and—hey! You said you were going to visit before you headed to Midgar! How come you’re here without even telling me? That’s not fair, you said you were going to come visit.”

            “SOLDIER Zack.” Angeal’s strict tone cut through his excitement.

            Suddenly remembering where he was, Zack scrambled to his feet and stood stiff. “Sorry sir!”

            “As much as I could understand seeing a old friend. It is not acceptable to plow over Shinra employed professors.”

            Zack gapped. “Professor?” He turned to look at Ed in disbelief. “Why are you a professor? You should’ve totally joined SOLDIER! You would’ve been badass! Why are you a professor?”

            Ed sighed as he pulled himself up from the ground and fixed his lab coat. “Pay attention Zack. Your superior officer is still here.”

            Zack stiffened up immediately.

            “General Hewley, please excuse this idiot’s behavior. While he’s a good fighter, he lacks concentration. I hope you’ll have better luck in training him than I have.”

            “Hey!” Zack protested, but that amused the general.

            “Restless as a puppy I suppose.” Angeal commented as he and Ed shared a smirk.

            “If you’ll excuse me General Hewley, I was on my way to speak with Director Lazard when Zack here assaulted me. Go lenient on him.” He commented with a grin before strolling towards the elevators. “See you later Zack!”

            “Ed!” Zack whined at his leaving friend, but he made no move to chase him.

            “Now what to do with you?” Angeal pondered as he circled the two new 3rds.

            Zack grimaced as he hoped he’d live long enough to hunt Ed down for all the juicy tidbits about his travel.  

o.o.o.o.o

            Ed hadn’t expected to see Zack so soon. Wasn’t there still a year left before he could officially take the exams for SOLDIER? Why was he already a 3rd Class? He placed a hand on his head as he recalled the dreams back at Nibelhiem. Zack was in them then and he was wearing a SOLDIER uniform then. Whatever Truth wanted, Zack ultimately would be involved.


	5. Temporary Fixes

            Wings of black and white, feathers fluttering in the dying wind. Blades clashed with one another, sparks flew at the meeting metals. Flames flaring, engulfing, destroying everything in its path. A red blade stabbed into the earth, abandoned. Zack stood, lonesome, in the face of an army, he smiled. Gunfire roared in a dying echo, then silence.

            Golden eyes snapped open as Ed jolted up from bed. It was that dream again. He growled under his breath. Truth was getting more persistent. Which meant, whatever he wanted him to do drew closer. He glanced out his window from his slum apartment finding it hard to discern what time it was. Under the plate, one could never tell whether it was day or night. Sure he was paid more than enough to live above plate, but something about the upper world didn’t settle well with him.

            Something felt horrible wrong and he couldn’t let himself get comfortable. Glancing to his clock he noted it was five in the morning. Running a hand over his face he realized he wasn’t going to get back to sleep anytime soon and decided to get up and ready himself for the day. He had a feeling that something big was going to happen.

o.o.o.o.o

            “Ed! Ed! EDDDDDD!” Zack crashed into the materia fusion room later that afternoon. The lab assistants glared at his entrance, but no one dared to say anything to the 3rd Class SOLDIER.

            “Zack this isn’t a playground, be careful when you come in here.” Ed scolded as he handled the newly created materia with mythril gloves. The gloves provided a barrier against the raging flood of information from the materia.

            “Yeah, but I don’t know when I would be able to catch you otherwise! Are you trying to avoid me or something? Every time I go look for you you’re never there.”

            Ed sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You guys take care of things here, I’ll be right back.” He grabbed Zack’s arm and hauled him out of the room. He noted the younger boy was starting to gain some height over him and it was a little upsetting.

            “So?” Zack asked as they stood outside of the materia fusion room.

            “Look Zack, I know it’s been a long while since we’ve spoken to each other, but I do have a job to do.” That and whatever Truth wants him to do. “You can’t just come barging into places and expect me to drop everything just to talk to you.”

            “You don't have to drop everything, you could talk and do whatever you’re doing at the same time. It’s not like I’m getting in your way.” Zack reasoned.

            “Don’t you have more training or missions to do? You’re a new 3rd aren’t you?” Ed asked, completely aware that there was a chance that Zack might be sent to Wutai.

            Zack grinned brightly. “I got a mentor. Angeal’s not putting me through missions until he’s sure I could keep my focus or something like that.”

            Ed nodded, approving Angeal’s decision. “Good, at least I wouldn’t have to go back to Gongaga to tell your mom the bad news.”

            “Hey!” Zack protested and tried to swat at Ed, but the blond was cautious and sidestepped before the blow connected.

            “Hey watch it, you’re enhanced now.” Ed chided.

            “Naw, I would never hurt you Ed!” Zack grinned with his arms behind his head.

            “Now listen, just because I don’t have time to talk to you doesn’t mean I’m trying to avoid you. If you want to see me that badly, you can come to my place when you’re free.” Ed crossed his arms.

            “Serious?” Zack’s face lit up.

            “Serious.” Ed replied.

            “Awesome! I’ll hold you on that okay Ed?” Zack said as he started jogging in place. “I need to get to training now. Talk to you later Ed!”

            Ed sighed and a shook his head as Zack ran towards the elevator to the lower training rooms. He was about to walk back into his workspace when he spotted a familiar red coat from the SOLDIER mission-briefing room. It was Genesis. Ed was about to flee before the other man could coerce him into another discussion about LOVELESS, but at the sight of his gloved hand over his shoulder, curiosity got the better of him.

            “All right there, General Rhapsodos?” Ed called out to the auburn-haired man

            Genesis glanced back and returned a faint smile. “Professor Elric a pleasant surprise to see you. Are you not busy with your fusion duties?”

            “I know you can speak like a human.” Ed warned him.

            The young general chuckled. “Normally, you would find any way to avoid me and my LOVELESS ways. What prompted you to engage me today?”

            Ed glanced to his shoulder. “Are you okay? I saw you grimacing earlier.”

            Genesis lost his smile. “Just a slight flesh wound.”

            "Why haven’t you used cure on it yet? Never mind that, I have a cure back in the lab, we can—”

            “It will not work.” Genesis raised a hand to stop him. “I’ve already tried. This injury… was infused with mako, it’s not going to heal.”

            Ed frowned as he moved closer to Genesis. “May I take a look?”

            “I’ve already seen Hollander, he said there’s nothing that could be done.” Genesis explained.

            The blond snorted. “I’m not Hollander, I would like to see for myself before taking the opinion of some second rate scientist.”

            Genesis looked surprised at Ed’s insult to his fellow scientist. The blond’s vehemence towards the man was due to the information he came across in the archives in the 62nd floor. It was sickening what this government was willing to overlook. Human experiments to create SOLDIER, animal experiments, crossbreeding, gene splicing, he could go on and on of the atrocities Shinra allowed to happen.

            What they were doing were the proverbial pin the tail on the donkey. They didn’t even have a set goal. They were spinning the roulette, hoping something good would come out of the whole mess.

            “You want me to strip here?” Genesis raised an elegant brow.

            Ed rolled his eyes. “You make me sound like I want to molest you. No, just taking off your jacket should be more than enough.”

            Deciding to humor him, Genesis took off his jacket and pulled down the collar of his shirt to show the bandages that covered his wound.

            “I don’t see how you’re going to get a better look at it, in this manner.” Genesis commented, but Ed paid him no heed as he pulled off his glove and placed a hand over the covered injury.

            Immediately, Ed’s mind went into the first phase of alchemy, comprehension. It took seconds before Genesis’ physical status filled his mind. A frown crossed his face when he found a mutation. It ran through the general’s whole body… a result of SOLDIER mako treatments? No, it was viral reaching into the core, but what it was, he didn’t know.

            Ed concentrated further and found the wound rotting. Of course, it wouldn’t heal. It couldn’t when the decay ate away the healthy flesh. Cure was meant for damaged cells. Its main objective is to rejuvenate the cells and coax it to reproduce. Genesis’ cells were dead.

            If Genesis was to recover, Ed needed to remove the decayed flesh and supplement a Full-Cure, but he needed to remove all the decay or it would just eat away at the healthy flesh again. In Midgar he couldn’t use any alchemy or magic without materias.

            “I can’t heal you here.” Ed sighed as he pulled away. “There is a method I want to try, but I can’t get it to work while in Midgar.”

            Genesis stared at him in surprise. “But you can heal it? For certain?”

            “I don’t think I could stop what’s going on in your body, there is something wrong with it, but I could at least close that wound for you if we could get out of Midgar.” Ed reasoned. He gripped his chin thoughtfully.

            “You could request a mission for a First.” Genesis inserted helpfully as he carefully shrugged his jacket back on. “Given you can provide a reason that you would need a first to do so.”

            “Hmm… Well, I’ve been meaning to request some time to do some fusion material hunting. The mines tend to be a good place.” Ed commented offhandedly.

            Genesis smirked. “An escort mission. How quaint.”

            “You could always refuse.” Ed retorted.

            “And miss out on your pleasant presence? I do wish to discuss more on the matter of LOVELESS.” Genesis quipped as Ed groaned in annoyance.

            “You know, I’m this tempted,” He pinched out a small distance between his fingers. “To not help you.”

            Genesis grinned at Ed’s empty threat. “Joking aside. Are you sure it’s healable? Hollander was quite—”

            “Hollander is an imbecile. If it doesn’t work, then you can go back to Hollander for treatment. I won’t stop you.”

            “And if it does work?”

            “I don’t have to discuss LOVELESS with you for a month.” Ed grinned.

            A chuckle escaped from Genesis as he lightly touched his brow. “Trust you to pick such a unconventional prize.”

            They went under the guise of material harvesting near Mideel. The area was abundant in stones and Ed found his alchemy strongest there.

            “This might sting.” Ed warned as Genesis took off his gear and pulled off his shirt and bandages gingerly.

            “I expected as much. None of Hollander’s tests were ever gentle.” The auburn-haired general muttered.

            Ed frowned lightly. “I’ll try to make it as painless as possible.”

            With a clap, he touched the decaying injury and drew away any dying cells and mako from the area. Clapping a second time, Ed cast Full-Cure, the knowledge was gathered from a materia he found in Cosmo Canyon. The materia itself was left with Bugenhagen. Skin and sinew slowly knitted together. At first it seemed to refuse the order to heal, but eventually all that’s left was a slight red line where the skin reunited.

            Genesis spread his fingers over the tender flesh, slowly rotating his arm, testing the fragility of the newly healed flesh. “Is it healed for good?”

            “No, it’s just a temporary fix. With you continuing to degrade, any injured area has a high chance of cell death. We could only take healthy cells and graft it into the new area for a while and hope for the best. I’ll keep trying to find a cure, but it’s the best I could do for now.” Ed explained as Genesis redressed himself.

            “That’s more than what Hollander managed.” Genesis murmured as he finished dressing and pulled on his gloves. “So tell me professor. How did you learn of this method of healing? You don’t seem like a doctor… and that clapping? What sort of magic is that? I didn’t see any materia on you.”

            “It’s something that came up in my experiments.” Ed lied. “It requires a very astute mind. Not something a common SOLDIER could replicate. No offense.”

            “In other words you’re keeping the method to yourself.” Genesis commented dryly. “Was that why you couldn’t use it in Midgar? No need to lie to me, I won’t tell the other professors.”

            “No, nothing like that… more like I can’t use it around mako reactors.” Ed admitted.

            “Only not around mako reactors? What’s the reason?”

            “It requires mako energy to perform what I’ve done. With mako reactors around, they’re drawing out all the mako in the vicinity, making it more difficult to cast.” He made sure to keep to terms that Genesis would understand, if he started with alchemy that would invite more questions. “And speaking of mako, we need to gather some mako stones. They’ll get suspicious if we went back empty handed. From what I’ve researched, Mideel should be abundant in mako stones.”

            Without further prompting, the two went into the mines under Mideel and true to Ed’s words there were a great deal of mako stones free for the gathering, but at the same time there were monsters roaming about.

            “Stand back professor. I’ll handle this.” Genesis said as he drew out his sword.

            Ed gave a snort as he brushed clean his lab coat. “I can take care of myself Genesis.”

            “I doubt a couple of mythril daggers will do any damage.” Genesis drawled as he surveyed the group of Mandrakes scurrying towards them. He made a quick move for his materia and casted Tri-fire at in the incoming horde. The flames took out five Mandrakes.

            “Not bad.” Ed commented as he clapped his hands. The air around them quickly condensed into combustible gases before he lighted a Tri-fire spell of his own. The mixture of alchemy and magic wiped out the rest of the mandrakes. 

            “Hmm…” Genesis hummed in appreciation as the monsters disappeared in a green wisp of light. “Why are you not a SOLDIER? With that skill level, you would’ve been made first in a heartbeat.”

            Ed snorted. “And be in range of you to get into LOVELESS discussions all the time? I’ll stick to my lowly professor profession.”

            “Lowly?” Genesis raised a brow. “Was it not you who brought the materia department to its glory this day?”

            “You’re not talking human again.” Ed commented as he bagged away sizeable chunks of mako stones.

            “You could’ve been a director when you entered Shinra. Yet, you settled for a simple professor position. Why? Everyone who comes to Shinra wants glory, fame and power. You’ve placed yourself below and under someone else’s command. Why?”

            Ed paused in his work and glanced at Genesis. Marcus had warned him not to trust anyone from Shinra especially in SOLDIER. They were dogs of the military, just as he was back home, but…

            “Professor Elric?” Genesis drew him back to reality.

            “…Call me Ed. If I’m going to tell you, you might as well call me by my name.” Ed commented.

            Genesis smiled. “Likewise.”

            Ed sighed as he readied his explanation. “… I’m not from this world…”


	6. A Gentle Touch

            “Not from this world?” Genesis raised a brow. “Call me a skeptic, that’s hardly an appropriate answer for my question.”

             A wry grin touched Ed’s lips as he took a step back and turned towards the exit of the cave. “Nothing I ever do could be called appropriate. I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me. A year ago, I probably wouldn’t either.”

            “Then regal me with your stories of the other world.” Genesis drawled lazily as if he was humoring him.

            Ed gave a humorless chuckle. “I wish there was something special I could tell you, but unfortunately, there aren’t much differences between the two. I could probably give you an equivalent of everything in this world from mine. Alchemy is probably the only notable difference.” 

            “Alchemy?” Genesis questioned. “You mean the chemists that deals with potions and ethers?”

            Ed shook his head. “Alchemy is much more.” He clapped his hands again and pressed his palms to the ground. Electricity sparked around the small professor as the ground dipped warped into a small sculpture of a suit of armor.

            Confusion touched Genesis’ face for a moment before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What did you do? It’s not morph, that materia only affects monsters and I don’t think transform magic could do something like that either.”

            “It’s not magic; it’s alchemy.” Ed corrected. “Alchemy is a science, the understanding of the surrounding elements and using that knowledge to break down and reform such elements. Magic on the other hand does not require such. The knowledge to perform magic is naturally ingrained into materia. As long as the user has an affinity to materia, they could cast.”

            “But alchemy essentially does the same thing does it not?” Genesis frowned.

            Ed continued with his explanation. “Alchemy can imitate the abilities of materia, but it’s hardly magic. With magic you’re not required to provide the material and trigger. Materia in itself is made of mako, so when someone uses, say a fire materia, there’s no need to supply the spark or the fuel, just cast and instant fire. To repeat the same feat via alchemy, the user would need to manipulate the appropriate amount of raw material into place before providing the spark to initiate the fire.”

            “And clapping is your method of trigger?” Genesis said dryly. “Please excuse my skepticism.”

            The blond professor shook his head. “A transmutation circle is normally required to trigger an alchemic reaction. And depending what you’re trying to do, you would need a different circle for each trigger… I just bypassed the need for one by clapping. Not many could do a transmutation without a circle.”

            “Yet, you do it with such ease.” Genesis noted.

            Ed gave a careless shrug as he continued. “Alchemists are scientists before warriors, but if you’re with the military…” He trailed off briefly. “Let’s just say, the fight becomes quite one-sided, much like SOLDIER is compared to a trooper.”

            Genesis raised a brow. “Are you saying alchemists can fight on equal grounds with SOLDIER?”

            “Depends on what you call equal.” The blond professor snorted. “SOLDIER are enhanced soldiers, they could take inhumane amounts of physical punishment. In a straight up fight, SOLDIER could easily annihilate anyone that’s not enhanced.”

            “You’re not denying it either.” Genesis quipped. 

            Ed pressed his lips to a thin line. “If moral ethics doesn’t come into play… An alchemist can take down a SOLDIER.” He shook his head. “But that would hardly be an issue. It’s unlikely Truth is going to drop anymore alchemists into this world.”

            “Truth?” Genesis asked in confusion.

            Ed’s brows furrowed as he tried to explain. “Truth… is not what you’re thinking about. He’s not a single being. He is anything and everything; he has no real form or voice. Heck, he probably isn’t a he at all. When I went to Cosmo Canyon, I met with an elder who referred Truth as the Planet, a she.”

            Genesis pressed the crook of his finger to his lips as he absorbed the information. “That hardly explains why you’re here. How would you meet someone like this being called Truth? And why would he throw you into another world?”

            A sad grin touched Ed’s lips, trust Genesis to notice things that others would overlook. “I’ve done something unforgiveable in my youth. I’ve ventured into a realm where no mortal should enter… I lost my leg and my brother as a result.”

            Genesis glanced briefly at Ed’s leg.

            “I have a prosthetic one now.” Ed replied before continuing. “Of course, being the idiot I am, I refused to take it as a lesson and sacrificed my arm to bound my brother’s soul to an empty armor.” His hand rested on the little wooden replica of Al’s armor on the post.

            Mako green eyes drifted to Ed’s arm without a word.

            “I got my arm back years later… my brother sacrificed himself, just so I had a fighting chance to live. I was so ready to give up anything to get him back… but what could I use to exchange for my brother? Truth saw my moment of indecision and dropped me off here. He said there was something I could do for him until I figure out the payment for my brother.”

            “Why here? What did he want you to do?” Genesis asked.

            Ed became silent for a moment; his golden eyes stared blankly at the miniature statue. “I don’t know.”

            “You don’t know?” Genesis said in surprise.

            He shrugged. “Truth never told me what he wanted me to do. He just left me here expecting me to do it. I was supposed to do something the previous year, but instead I was nearly killed by a dragon, if not for the phoenix materia I acquired. He wanted me to destroy something… but now, it seems like he wants me to do something else…”

            “Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess.” Genesis recited airily. Ed rolled his eyes at the familiar verse. “We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface.  The wandering soul knows no rest.”

            “Why did I even bother?” Ed sighed as he clapped his hands and flattened the ground and picked up his bag of mako stones.

            “I am not mocking you, my friend.” Genesis said as he strolled forward as Ed stalked towards the entrance. “However, it seems that your role may play a larger role than you expected.”

            "Stop turning everything into a metaphorical play.” Ed grumbled. “If you don’t believe me, fine. I didn’t expect you to anyway.”

            Genesis stepped ahead and cut him off with a flourish. “You misunderstood me Edward.”

            The blond paused with a huff. “Then what do you mean?”

            “While I do find what you said hard to believe—”

            Ed snorted at his words.

            “I do not believe you are lying.”

            At that Ed glanced up at him questionably.

            “You’re a man of science.” The auburn-haired general gave a bemused grin. “It’s not in your nature to indulge in delusions and lies. I do hope you figure out what you’re supposed to do, and if you find yourself in need of an ally don’t hesitate to call on me.”

            The blond alchemist sighed in exasperation as he walked pass the man. “I’d probably kill myself first before I subject myself to more of your floral speeches, but thanks for the sentiment. I’ll keep it in mind.”

            Genesis sighed in amusement as he followed him out of the cave. “There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess.”

            Ed groaned as he desperately wanted to bash his head in. “Another line and I’m going to punch you with the wall.”

            A slender auburn brow rose in question. “Don’t you mean you’ll punch me into the wall?”

            “No, I meant it. With—the—wall.” He enunciated each word. “I could make the ground your worst enemy.”

            Genesis’ shoulders shook in mirth as he let out a throaty chuckle. “To be beaten by the very floors I stand on. I must agree; that would be quite terrifying.”

            “Hmph.” Ed huffed triumphantly. “Glad you see my way.”

o.o.o.o.o

            “Where is Ed?” Zack whined as he wandered the slums beneath the plates.

            His training sessions with Angeal finished early and he had hoped he could heckle his previous mentor to treating him to dinner. Not that he needs him to, he has his own salary now and it was more than what he could’ve made by selling monster parts back in Gongaga. He just wanted to annoy Ed. Now, if he could only find him.

            Zack tried calling him, texting him, going to his lab and going to his house, but he was met with a whooping lot of nada. He resorted to wandering the slums hoping he would be able to catch sight of Ed. Kunsel had warned him not to venture below plates unnecessarily, but he was bored. Even if he ran into any unsavory individuals, he was a SOLDIER. He could take them on with one hand behind his back.

            “Why would Ed live here of all places?” He murmured to himself as he glanced around his depressing surroundings. The air beneath the plates was fowl, stuffy with mako pollution. His sensitive nose was already wrinkling in distaste as he continued on.

            This was his first time in the slums. When he arrived at Midgar months ago, Travis had taken him straight up to the plates. He never had a chance to see what it was like below plate. It was quite off putting to see trash piled high everywhere. He was surprised that there was a pathway at all. The further he walked the more he noticed other people were shying away from him.

            Why were they avoiding him? Zack frowned as he paused and placed his hands on his hips as he looked around. There was nothing around him. Did he smell? He sniffed his shirt wondering. There was nothing wrong with him, why were they avoiding him?

            “Get him!” A rough voice shouted from a distance.

            Zack turned to the sound, startled, when a body crashed into him. He nearly toppled over if not for the other clinging to his waist to keep from falling. The striking mess of red hair was a surprise after seeing nothing but grey and dirt during his wandering beneath the plate. The young man grumbled as angry green eyes glared up at him.

            “Damn it! Who the hell stands in the middle of nowhere?” The redhead cursed as he caught his balance and quickly glanced back.

            At a distance, a small group of shady men could be seen rushing towards them. “Reno, you little shit! Get back here!”

            The redhead clicked his tongue. “Geez, they are persistent.” He glanced back at Zack. “What are you wearing? A costume?”

            “What?” Zack questioned.

            “Never mind.” Reno cupped the side of his face before shouting. “ Sure, if you want to fight with my SOLDIER buddy here!”

            The group paused for a moment, but it took no more than a moment before they charged again. “Getting your friend to play dress up isn’t going to scare us! You little brat!”

            “Ah crap.” Reno murmured. “I hope you can fight buddy. See ya!”

            “Wait—!” Zack never finished as the redhead darted off. He turned back just in time to see himself surrounded by the group. He raised his hands defensively. “Hey, wait a sec, I’m not with—”

            “We don’t want to hear your excuses. If we can’t get the brat, we’ll make you an example.” The thugs said gruffly.

            “But I’m not—!” Zack was cut off when one of them swung a heavy chain at him. He sighed in annoyance as he sidestepped the attack. These thugs weren’t worth his time, but then again, it wasn’t like he was going to find Ed anytime soon.

            “Stand still!” The man roared when he kept dodging their attacks.

            A sly grin touched Zack’s lips as a mischievous thought crossed his mind; miniature thugs sound fun to play with. He lifted a hand at them ready to cast, but nothing happened. He quickly pulled his hand back and looked at his empty bracer. Where was his materia? In his moment of disbelief, the thugs managed a hard blow to his head and the world turned dark.

            Ed and Angeal are never going to let him live this down.

o.o.o.o.o

            Angeal frowned as he stared at the active duty list. Genesis was out on an escort mission. Normally, it wouldn’t be strange for SOLDIER to go on escort missions, but his friend always found it tediously boring. Even when there were special requests for him to do so, he always turned them down with his privileges as a first. Who was he escorting?

            Professor Edward Elric, Shinra’s youngest professor.

            From what Angeal gathered, the young man came to Shinra barely a year ago. At the tender age of fifteen, he was well versed in the subject of materia and was hired for his expertise in materia fusion. In less than the span of a year, he brought his department up to par against Scarlet’s weapons development. Aside from his department sharing the same floor, the diminutive professor had no real connection SOLDIER. The only exception was with Zack, but the new SOLDIER third has a habit of getting friendly with everyone.

            What was Genesis doing with him?

            “Something wrong?” Sephiroth’s voice broke him out of his thoughts as he glanced up from his PHS. The man was polishing Masamune at his desk.

            “Genesis is out on an escort mission.” Angeal explained.

            “That’s…unexpected.” A fine silver brow rose in question.

            “I don’t get it either. Did he mention anything about a Professor Elric before?” The raven-haired first asked.

            “The materia specialist?” Sephiroth questioned. “I’ve heard mentions of him in passing.”

            “Anything of interest? Aside from his age that is?” Angeal asked.

            “Nothing in particular.” The silver-haired general tilted his head. “Why?”

            A frown marred Angeal’s face. “…Does Genesis seem like he’s acting strange?”

            “You’re thinking too much.” Sephiroth commented.

            “He didn’t even tell us he was going on a mission. He just up and left. Isn’t that a little odd?” Angeal murmured. “That mission wasn’t even a day old and he just up and snatched it from the roster.”

            “Escort missions are usually beneath him… Maybe he’s still recovering from our last bout in the training room.” Sephiroth paused. “…Did his injuries heal?” 

            “Not yet.” Angeal shook his head before he noticed a hint of remorse touched the other’s face. “Maybe you’re right, I am thinking too much.” He quickly inserted. “He’s probably just going for a change of pace.”

            “Where did he go for his escort mission?” Sephiroth asked.

            Angeal glanced over the roster again before he let out a sigh of relief. “Mideel.”

            “The injury must be affecting him worse than we thought.” Sephiroth frowned. “There’s nothing challenging in that region.”

            “Forget what I said.” Angeal sighed exasperatedly. “I shouldn’t have mentioned anything.”

            The silver-haired general looked solemn as he stared down at his blade. “When is Genesis returning?”

            “Given how simple this mission was? Probably later this evening or tomorrow morning the latest.” Angeal replied with a questioning look. “Why?”

            Sephiroth said nothing as he stood and circled around his desk. “I have some elixirs he could try. Maybe that would help with his injuries.”

            Angeal blinked in surprise before he realized what Sephiroth was doing. The icy cold general was concern for Genesis. It was rare, considering how often Genesis challenged him on a daily basis and hold his own against the man. A faint smile graced the Angeal’s face as he watched Sephiroth rummage through his cabinets for the mentioned elixirs. If only Genesis knew.

o.o.o.o.o

            “Hello?” A girlish voice broke through the darkness and a soft hand touched his face. “Hello?”

            Zack groaned as he struggled to open his eyes. His head was pounding and his vision was blurry. It took a moment before he managed to gather his wits.

            “You’re awake!” The sweet voice cheered softly.

            Zack’s vision cleared in time to see a pretty girl hovering above him with a relieved smile. “An angel.” He breathed with a dopey grin.

            The girl giggled. “You must’ve hit your head harder than I thought. I’m Aeris.” She leaned forward and brushed his hair aside gently and tugged at something on his head. He winced and quickly found out she was checking on the bandages. When did he get those? “I found you passed out in the middle of the street.”

            “Did you fix me up?” Zack tilted his head curiously as he looked around the high arches and countless benches. “Where are we?”

            “A church in the sector five slums.” Aeris answered as she sighed in relief. “Oh good, it’s not that bad. I was afraid you were hurt badly with the amount of blood I saw.”

            “Ah, I wouldn’t worry. I heal fast.” Zack grinned. “I’m Zack by the way. Thanks for the save.”

            “I couldn’t just leave you there bleeding.” Aeris said shyly.

            “And I can’t thank you enough for doing so. I really need to repay you somehow.” Zack said as he tried to sit up, but quickly regret it as vertigo hit him. “Woah.”

            Aeris was quick to catch his arm before he toppled over. “Take it easy, you really shouldn’t be moving.”

            “No, I’m good. I’m good.” Zack waved her off as he gathered himself. “It’ll just take a moment and I’ll be good as new.” He grinned brightly as he continued. “So, I was thinking, how about a date as payment for saving me?”

            The girl giggled. “You’re silly.”

            He pouted. “Am not. I could totally be a bad ass.”

            “Was that why you got into a fight?” She asked curiously.

            “What? No!” Zack denied. “I wasn’t even looking for a fight, I was just passing by and got mixed up in it.” He sulked. “I got robbed too… It took me ages to level those materia.” He blew a strand of hair out of his face. “Is it common here in the slums?”

            “Only to people who’s not from the slums.” Aeris answered. “You’re not from around here right?”

            Zack grimaced. “Am I that obvious?”

            She grinned. “Yeah. You have a lot to learn if you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb here.”

            “Oh, teach me great master.” Zack gave a silly kowtow before Aeris broke out into giggles again. He joined in laughing seconds after. As they conversed, Zack slowly forgot why he was down here in the first place, not that it was a bad thing.

o.o.o.o.o

            “Finally back!” Ed gave a great yawn as he hopped off the helicopter. “No matter how many times I’ve traveled, I still can’t get used to sitting still for hours.” He gave a lazy stretch before hunching over.

            “You slept the whole way back.” Genesis mused dryly. “That’s hardly sitting still Edward.”

            Ed rolled his eyes as he stood straight again. “Whatever, how’s your shoulder holding up?”

            Genesis brushed a hand over his shoulder. “It hasn’t worsened since we departed. I think it’s healed.”

            “Remember.” Ed raised a finger for emphasis. “This is only temporary. I’ll see if I could find a way to help make this permanent, but be careful. Try not to take any missions that might get you injured. Come to me if you need healing.”

            The auburn-haired general held back a laugh behind his hand. “You’re starting to sound like mother chocobo.”

            “Hey, don’t make fun of mothers. They’re the strongest around.” Ed retorted. “Even the strongest of men have to submit when mom says so.”

            Genesis’ shook his head in mirth. “You are a strange one Edward. With all your knowledge and power, you’re telling me you would tremble at the whims of a scolding mother?” 

            His eyes looked distant as if he was remembering something long ago and his face broke into a pleasant smile. “There is nothing scarier than an angry mother.”

            “And you smile at this.” Genesis drawled as they walked off the helicopter pad and towards the Shinra building. “Careful, someone might think you’re a masochist.”

            Ed let out a bellow of laughter as he strolled along with Genesis. “I’ve been called worse. Besides there’s—” He paused when Genesis turned his attention away from him. The blond followed the SOLDIER’s gaze and spotted an intimidating pair approaching.

            “General Sephiroth, General Hewley.” Ed greeted the pair with a nod before tapping Genesis on the arm with a friendly punch. “I’ll see you around. Hopefully, I don’t need to go on another excursion anytime soon.” His subtle message underneath was not lost on Genesis.

            “It was a pleasure. Call on me whenever you need my assistance.” Genesis returned with a flourished bow.

             “Always with the dramatics.” Ed rolled his eyes. “I’ll leave him in your capable hands generals. I don’t know how you guys deal with his endless LOVELESS recitals.” Ed shifted his bag on his shoulder. “Anyway, I have to get these mako stones back to the labs. Later.”

            Just as he moved to leave, a rush of warped moaning screams attacked his senses. Ed’s body spasm, the air ripped from his lungs. His grip loosened and his bag slipped form his shoulder. Within seconds his knees gave out beneath him and he hit the ground convulsing and gagging.

            “Ed!” He faintly heard Genesis cry out.

            “Move!” A deep voice shouted before the screams and sea of green swallowed his consciousness.

o.o.o.o.o

            _What’s going on?_ Ed struggled against the sea of screaming voices. The similarity it had to the philosopher stone was eerie. He hasn’t heard such screams since seeing Envy’s true form.

Static…

            _My…son…_ A wispy voice broke through the screams and silence fell. _Come to me…_

            Ed’s brow furrowed as the green turned to darkness.

            _My son… Please… Help me…_ The voice called out desperately.

            _…Who are you?_ Ed could see nothing.

            _I’m your mother…_ The voice lulled.

Static…Stat… Sta…


	7. Three Generals

            “Ed!” Genesis called out the moment Ed collapsed. He quickly knelt to the ground to help, but the blond convulsed, his body twisting unnaturally with each spasm. It was near impossible to catch his flailing limbs. His left leg, in particular, left cracks on the floor each time it landed.

            “Move!” Sephiroth commanded when Ed started gagging and his golden eyes grew dull.

            The silver-haired man quickly grabbed the diminutive professor’s arms in one hand and pinned his thrashing legs with his knees. With his free hand he reached into his back pocket for a tranquilizer and stabbed it into the other’s thigh. Ed’s breath hitched, his body tensed briefly before slumping lifelessly to the ground.

            “What happened?” Angeal asked quietly as he watched the soft rise and fall of the young man’s chest.

            “I don’t know.” Genesis frowned. “Ed’s never been like this before.”

            “You’re on first name bases with him?” Sephiroth raised a brow as he got off the blond. “Rare.”

            “Not the time.” Genesis grunted as he hovered a hand over Ed. “Scan.” A warm yellow light circled the unconscious young man before his statistics appeared above him.

            “His vitals are green.” Angeal murmured in confusion. “There’s nothing wrong with him.”

            “It may be prudent to relocate him rather than treat him here on the landing pad.” Sephiroth noted as he glanced at the nosy staff. Their eyes averted immediately.

            “I could—” Angeal offered to carry Ed, but Genesis had already scooped up the young man, carefully cradling his head to his shoulder and stood. “Genesis, your injury…”

            “It healed.” Genesis said as he turned his heel. “Let’s take him back to my quarters.”

            Sephiroth shared a glance with Angeal before they followed their auburn-haired friend.

            “Are you sure? Last time, no magic could heal it—” Angeal paused when Genesis turned to him angrily.

            “Ed is the only one that matters right now! If something happened to him. I…” Genesis gritted his teeth and turned away.

            The raven-haired first stood stunned as he watched Genesis storm ahead. He’s never seen his childhood friend act this way. Is it possible?

            “Genesis seems quite fond of the professor.” Sephiroth commented casually as he strolled pass the stunned raven-haired First. “And here I thought he’d fall in love with a mirror.”

            Angeal said nothing and followed. It was unthinkable. Genesis and the young professor? The young man wasn’t even legal!

            From the landing pad to the company garage, the three SOLDIER Firsts gathered plenty of stares and whispers from the morning rush. No one dared to step into the elevator while they occupied the space. If any of them bothered to listen, they could’ve heard the first round of gossip from the white-collared grapevine.

            For the first time, Genesis hated the fact that there were only two elevators for the entire building. He should’ve taken the stairs.

o.o.o.o.o

            Zack sighed dreamily as he made his way back to Shinra. Despite losing his materia and getting beaten in the most embarrassing manner, he met a wonderful girl and spent hours talking to her. It was almost enough to make him forgive that damn redheaded thief. Almost. One of these days, he will hunt him down and get his materia back, if the other hasn’t already sold them off.

            He would’ve spent the whole night hunting him down, but he had no clue where to start looking. Heck, he couldn’t even hunt down the men that cracked his skull open the previous night. Just thinking about it made his head hurt, not that the injury was still there. He was a fast healer even before the mako injections.

            Normally, Zack would’ve been in a daze until he reached the SOLDIER floor, but today something was different. There was something strange on the descending elevator on the other side. When he realized what he was seeing, he pounced and shoved his way to the glass despite the complaints of his fellow elevator riders.

            “Ed?” He pressed his face against the glass for a better look, but the other elevator had descended too quickly. Zack moved to the elevator’s panel, only to realize it would take forever for him to try to go back down. “Damn it!”

            What’s wrong with Ed? Who was that holding onto him? Zack grumbled in annoyance at every floor the elevator stopped on. If he was more familiar with each floor, he could’ve made his way to the stairs, but he rather not waste his time wandering and looking for the stairs. By the time he reached the SOLDIER floor he was ready to scream.

            “Zack!” Kunsel called out to him the second he stepped out.

            “Can’t talk, gotta go find Ed. He got carried off by some guy in a red coat!” Zack said as he jogged around him and zipped towards the stairs.

            Kunsel looked surprise for a second. “Huh… I guess the rumors spreading on the lower floors about the professor might have some truth to it.”

            Zack stopped in a screeching halt and glanced back. “Rumors about Ed? What rumors?”

            “There’s a rumor about General Rhapsodos and Professor Elric having a thing going on between them. Some say they’re friends, but some of the more outrageous ones…well… I don’t have to spell it out for you.” Kunsel made a vague hand motion.

            “…What does that have to do with anything?” Zack frowned.

            “General Rhapsodos is known for his red coat.” Kunsel explained. “You said a man in a red coat carried the professor off right? It’s probably him.”

            Zack crossed his arms. “Then Ed should be fine with him right?”

            “If the rumors are true, I don’t think he would hurt him.” Kunsel reasoned.

            “Hmm…” The spiky-haired third scratched the side of his neck. “You city folks are weird. Two guys together never happens back in Gongaga.”

            “At least you’re taking it better than some other country bumpkins.” Kunsel commented.

            “Hey! Who are you calling a country bumpkin?” Zack retorted.

            “Did I say you were one?” Kunsel grinned.

            Zack opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it close instead with a huff. “Since Ed’s fine I guess I don’t have to worry about him.” He paused for a moment before an idea clicked in his mind. “Hey, Kunsel you’re good at collecting info on people right?”

o.o.o.o.o

Static…

            _Mother? Why would…_ Ed struggled through his thoughts. Why was it so foggy? He can’t think straight.

            _Help us. It’s hurting us._ The voice wisped.

            _What’s hurting you? And what do you mean us?_ Ed asked.

            _My son… help me… help…he—_

            _Wait!_ Ed called out as the voice faded and the screams returned.

            _Brother! Brother!_ A familiar voice shouted among the screams.

            _Al? AL! AL!_

Static…

            “AL!” Ed shouted as he jolted up in a cold sweat. He could see nothing but the sea of hazy green.

            “Edward!” A familiar voice called out as an arm caught him and tried to stop his flailing. “Calm down!”

            Ed’s breathing labored as his vision slowly cleared and he was met with unfamiliar surroundings. He wasn’t in the slums; the room was much nicer than what was available beneath the plate. Even the sheets he was sleeping on felt softer than anything he slept on the past two years. Where was he? What was he doing? How did he end up here?

            “Edward?” Genesis’ worried voice came through before he finally gathered his wits.

            “Genesis?” Ed rasped out as he turned to him in confusion. “What…?” He paused with a frown as everything slowly came back to him. He sighed in annoyance as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “Are you okay?” Genesis asked.

            “Fine.” Ed grumbled.

            “Hardly fine, unless seizures and asphyxiations are regular occurrences for you.” Sephiroth’s smooth voice remarked.

            Ed flinched and opened his eyes; he hadn’t realized he and Genesis weren’t alone. The only light in the room was the dull morning ray that crept through the window. Sephiroth stood by the door with his arms crossed, almost hidden by the shadows and Angeal was not far from him. The two kept their distance from the bed unlike Genesis who was halfway on the bed to keep Ed from flailing earlier.

            “Is it a regular occurrence?” Angeal asked with concern.

            “I’m _fine_!” Ed grunted as he climbed out of bed. “It’s nothing you have to concern about.”

            “Sounds like you’re in denial. That name you screamed, someone close I presume?” Sephiroth commented offhandedly.

            “Sephiroth!” Angeal admonished him.  

            He paid him no heed. “I would say you lost him in a traumatic event, possibly one connected to your prosthetic leg. Just now when you woke, rather than feeling concerned and terrified over the fit, you looked annoyed. It would seem to be a common occurrence from how you answered to Angeal, but you were surprised when it happened. I wonder why is that?”

            Ed stood straight and locked eyes with the man. He faced many opponents with his time traveling with Al and working for the state. Thieves, corrupt officials, murders, alchemists, chimeras, trained Xingian warriors, homunculi; the list could go on forever with how many people he faced in his life. Only few that could ever claim intimidation over him. Sephiroth was not one of them. Yet, the man did feel different, much different from anyone else he has ever met.

            “If I didn’t know better, general. I would think you’re trying to go somewhere with this.” Ed said calmly.

            “Now why would I do that?” Sephiroth humored with a smirk. “I’m merely stating an observation.”

            “Sephiroth, that’s enough.” Genesis warned.

            A soft chuckled escaped the silver-haired man. “You’re possessive.” Sephiroth uncrossed his arms and casually tossed a vial to Genesis.

            Genesis caught it with one hand and glanced at the contents. “An elixir?” He said in confusion.

            “For your injury, but if you’re well, then you can save it for your dear professor.” Sephiroth mused as he turned to leave the room. “We’ve waste plenty of time. I’m quite sure Lazard is probably wondering where we are.”

            Angeal glanced between them for a moment. “Are the two of you certain you’re fine?”

            “We’re not children, Angeal.” Genesis said in annoyance.

            “You act like one at times.” Angeal replied before turning to Ed. “Please excuse Sephiroth for his lack of tact. He could be surprisingly juvenile at times. Even if he doesn’t look like the type.”

            Sephiroth raised a silver brow as if to query his choice of words.

            Angeal rolled his eyes as if he knew what the other man was doing. “There’s a glint in your eye every time you terrify Hojo’s assistants. I know you secretly enjoy intimidating people, you sadist.” He turned to leave. “But Sephiroth is right, we need to go. We’ll show ourselves out Genesis. You two take it easy.”

            “You take after your mother more and more each day.” Genesis said exasperatedly with his fingers pressed to his brow. “We’re fine. Just leave.”

            “Looks like we’ve overstayed our welcome.” Sephiroth mused as he strolled out. Angeal only chuckled before he followed.

            “I thought they’d never leave.” Genesis muttered. “Angeal is my oldest friend, but he could be quite obstinate, making him very frustrating at times. But I never thought Sephiroth…” He paused and glanced at the vial in his hand. “To offer such concern is a rare occurrence.”

            “It’s strange.” Ed murmured.

            “For Sephiroth? Yes, it is.” Genesis agreed.

            “No, not that.” Ed frowned in deep thought.

            “Then what?” Genesis asked, but the other didn’t respond. “Edward?”

            Ed was trying to make sense of his encounter with the three generals and his dreams. What did Truth want him to do about them? It was obvious to him now that something big would happen with Sephiroth from all the dreams involving the man, but why wasn’t Angeal or Genesis in those? Does something happen to them?

            His meeting with Sephiroth was not what he expected. The man had an aggressive air around him that could easily intimidate the weak-willed and aggravate the strong. Ed was not unaffected. Had Sephiroth decided to instigate a fight, he might’ve jumped to arms and fought the man. Yet, Angeal and Genesis were not affected at all. Instead, they seemed at ease with Sephiroth in their bantering and reminiscing.

            There was a connection, a reason why Truth would want him to focus on these three men. SOLDIER couldn’t be the connection. He has met with others in his dreams before that had no connection to SOLDIER. Nanaki the guardian beast from Cosmo Canyon, Cid the astronaut from Rocket Town and he had a sinking feeling that little Tifa from Nibelhiem might be the girl waiting at the village entrance.

            Sephiroth will one day be in Nibelhiem and if he was reading the dreams right, the general would cross paths with the others. What Ed doesn’t get is the cause for them to meet. There were no connections or reason, why would Sephiroth encounter them? Even so, what bothered him most was that the dreams hinted no instance that Angeal or Genesis would be in these meetings. It chilled him to think what would happen to them.

            Angeal was pleasant when he was not suffocating with his motherly tendency. Ed could see him as a family man much like Hughes. As for Genesis, annoying he may be at times with his LOVELESS obsession, he was still one of the few people he could call a friend in this world. Ed wasn’t one to abandon his friends.

            “Edward?” Genesis called his name again before he snapped out of his thoughts.

            “Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Ed said. “...What are your thoughts on Sephiroth?”

            Genesis scoffs. “Ever the hero, I doubt anyone could say anything bad about Shinra’s beloved Silver General. I have nothing against him as he is a friend, but sometimes he could be quite pretentious if he felt like it. I wouldn’t mind knocking him down a peg or two. Why do you ask?”

            “Just curious.” Ed replied.

            “About earlier…” Genesis started. “Is that how this Truth character contacts you?”

            Ed frowned. “No, at least not normally. I don’t know what that was.” Genesis said nothing; it’s obvious he’s worried. “It’s pointless to worry since nothing could be done to prevent it. Let’s just hope the next time it happens, someone would be around.”

            “I don’t like this.” Genesis murmured. “It seems like something’s at work against you.”

            “Or Truth is just being an ass.” Ed shrugged. “Like I said, there’s no point in worrying. We could use that time to find you a cure instead. How about it?”

            Genesis sighed. “Sometimes I wonder whether you’re generous or foolish.”

            “Sometimes being the fool isn’t a bad thing.” Ed grinned wryly. “Even when everyone’s given up, they’ll keep going even if there’s the slightest chance of hope.”

            “Now you’re just an idealist.” Genesis drawled.

            “And what’s wrong with that?” Ed retorted.

            Hopefully, Sephiroth has nothing to do with Angeal and Genesis’ possible disappearance and Truth isn’t asking for him to eliminate the silver-haired man. He doesn’t doubt Truth’s cruelty to take away what was precious to a person and it wouldn’t be the first time for him to ask for the elimination of someone. After all, his first assignment was to eliminate some being named Jenova.

            Jenova… Who or what was Jenova? Why did Truth want him to eliminate it earlier? He will have to look into it further for more answers. Maybe then, he’ll make sense of all this.

 


End file.
